George  Washington  Flowers 
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ESTABLISHED  BY  THE 
FAMILY  OF 

COLONEL  FLOWERS 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


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TIIE  SOLDIER- AUTHOR. 


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I.  Soldiers  of  the  Saddle. 

II.  Capture,  Prison-Pen,  and  Escape. 

III.  Battles  for  the  Union. 

IV.  Heroes  of  Three  Wars. 


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Captain  Glazier's  works  are  growing  more  anti  more  popular 
every  day.  Their  delineations  of  military  life,  constantly  vary- 
ing scene*,  and  deeply  interesting  stories,  combine  to  place  their 
writer  in  the  front  rank  of  American  authors. 


SOLD  ONLY  BY  SUBSCRIPTION. 

Persons  desiring  Agencies  for  any  of  Captain  Glazier  s books 
should  address 

GILMAN  & COMPANY. 

^ HARTFORD,  CONN. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2017  with  funding  from 
Duke  University  Libraries 


https://archive.org/details/battlesforunion01glaz 


COMPRISING 


Descriptions  of  many  of  the  most  Stubbornly  Contested 
Battles  in  the  War  of  the  Great  Rebellion,  together 
•with  Incidents  and  Reminiscences  of  the  Camp, 
the  March,  and  the  Skirmish  Bine. 

EMBRACING 


A RECORD  OF  TIIE  PRIVATIONS,  IIEROIC  DEEDS, 
AND  GLORIOUS  TRIUMPHS  OF  THE 
SOLDIERS  OF  TIIE  REPUBLIC. 


BT 

CAPTAIN  WILLARD  GLAZIER, 

Author  of  “ Soldiers  of  the  Saddle,”  “ Capture,  Prison-Pin  and  Escape,”  " Heroes  of 
Three  Wars,”  “Peculiarities  of  American  Cities,”  ktc.,  btc. 


2$l(u0{rale£>. 


HARTFORD,  CONN.: 

GILMAN  & COMPANY. 

350  and  352  Asylum  Street. 

1 8 7 8 . 


<> <> 

Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1874,  by 
WILLARD  GLAZIER, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


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Jy-3,  73 
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TO 

THE  MEMORY  OF 

]\Iy  ^i^tef  lijlvifh,, 

THE  CONSTANT  COMPANION  OF  MY  BOYHOOD, 

WHOSE  LAMP  OF  LIFE  WENT  OUT 

ON  THE  DAY,  AND  AT  THE  HOUR  OF  MY  CAPTURE  BY  THE  ENEMY 

AT  NEW  BALTIMORE,  VIRGINIA, 

In  the  Autumn  of  1803, 

AND  WHOSE  LAST  WORDS  WERE  OF  ME  AND  THE  ARMY, 

©Itijsi  ^fltuuu 

IS  AFFECTIONATELY  AND  TENDERLY  INSCRIBED 
BY  HER  BROTHER, 


yHE  ^Author, 


. 


, 


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. 

■ . ■ 

•-  ■'  ■ Jfi  ■ 


- 


'Pfef  h-<5e . 


IF  there  is  anything  of  interest  or  importance  in  the  history  of 
war,  it  must  naturally  be  found  in  the  great  battles  which 
decide  the  issues  of  the  controversy.  The  soldier  turns  to  battle 
scenes  for  a record  of  his  services  and  sacrifices.  He  cares  but 
little  for  details  of  the  camp  or  march,  while  he  searches  with 
avidity  for  the  chapter  which  rehearses  the  story  of  his  struggles, 
victories,  yea,  and  even  his  defeats  on  the  field  of  strife.  The 
citizen  and  student  of  history  look  to  grand  combats,  for  the 
salient  points  in  their  chronology  of  events.  I have  endeavored 
in  “ Battles  foe  the  Union,”  to  present  in  the  most  concise 
and  simple  form  the  great  contests  in  the  war  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  Republic  of  the  United  States.  Should  my  late 
comrades  in  arms  consider  my  pictures  faithful,  I shall  feel  more 
than  compensated  for  the  effort  I have  made  to  commemorate 
their  glorious  deeds. 

WILLARD  GLAZIER. 

IIabtford,  Cosy.,  August  22il,  1874. 


* 

“V 


dor(teT|t$ 


— — • • • — - 

CHAPTER  I. 

FORT  SUMTER. 

First  Causes. — United  States  Property  Seized. — Uprising  of  the  North. 
— The  Little  Band  at  the  Nation’s  Outpost. — From  Moultrie  to 
Sumter. — The  Landing  at  Night. — Moultrie  in  Flames. — Star  of 
the  West. — No  Help  Yet. — Alone  to  Defend  the  Old  Flag. — Starva- 
tion Ahead. — Communications  Cut  Off. — No  Surrender. — The  Bom- 
bardment.— Terrific  Cannonading. — The  Barracks  on  Fire. — Not  a 
Biscuit  Left. — Out  of  Ammunition. — Wigfall  and  his  White  Flag  — 
Sumter  Surrenders  on  its  Own  Terms. — The  Defeat  a Glorious 
Victory 21 

CHAPTER  II. 

BIG  BETHEL. 

General  Butler  at  Fortress  Monroe. — Decides  to  Attack  the  Bebels  at 
Big  Bethel. — Plan  of  Major  Winthrop. — Crossing  the  Hampton 
River  at  Midnight  — Colonel  Duryea  joined  by  General  Pierce. — 
Fatal  Mistake  of  Colonel  Bendix  — The  Confederates  Retreat  from 
Little  Bethel. — Battle  of  Big  Bethel,  and  fall  of  Major  Winthrop. — 
Gallantry  and  Death  of  Lieutenant  Grebble. — Official  Report  of  the 
Battle 30 

CHAPTER  III. 

BULL  RUN. 

Date  of  the  Battle — Military  Talent  Displayed  on  Both  Sides. — Gen- 
eral Beauregard  in  Command  of  the  Confederate  Forces — Kxpecta 
tions  of  the  North  and  South  Concerning  the  Result  of  the  Battle. — 
The  Division  Generals  Engaged. — Slow  Progress  of  McDowell’s 
Army.— Heavy  Skirmish  at  Blackburn’s  Ford. — Sluggishness  of 
Army  Movements  — Patterson’s  Failure  to  Engage  Johnston  — Hos- 
tilities Commenced. — Attack  of  Confederate  Batteries  on  Burnside’s 
Brigade. — Struggle  for  the  Hill  beyond  Warrenton  Turnpike. — 
Colonel  Hunter  Severely  Wounded. — Successliaf,  the  Union  Arms 
up  to  Three  o’clock  P.  M. — Confederate  ReeSjbrcements  Turn  the 
Scale. — Panic  of  our  Forces.  They  Break  and  Fly  in  Confusion. — 
The  Union  Army  a Mass  of  Fugitives. — Disastrous  end  of  the  Bat- 
tle.— Patterson  Blamed 37 

(ix) 


X 


CONTENTS. 


CIIAP  TEE  IV. 

WILSON'S  CREEK. 

General  Fremont  in  Command  of  the  Western  Department. — Rendez- 
vous at  St  Louis. — Lyon  in  a Critical  Situation. — The  March  at 
Night. — Out  of  the  Streets  of  Springfield. — The  Midnight  Halt. — • 
Camp  Fires  of  the  Enemy. — The  Rebels  at  Breakfast. — Sigcl  adds 
an  Unexpected  Dish  to  their  Morning  Repast. — Panic  and  Flight. — • 
Battle  and  Victory,  followed  hv  Confusion. — The  Mistaken  Troops. — 
“Our  Friends  are  Firing  Upon  us.” — Sigel’s  Disaster. — General 
Lvon  at  the  Front. — They  cannot  Break  His  Lines. — Heroism  and 
Bravery  Conquer  Numbers. — Lyon’s  Last  Charge. — Victory  and 
Death. — The  Nation’s  Beloved  Hero. — Rebel  Army  Routed  and  in 
Full  Retreat. — Withdrawal  to  Springfield 50 

CHAPTER  V. 

BALL'S  BLUFF. 

Situation  of  Ball’s  Bluff. — The  Hostile  Annies  on  Opposite  Banks  of 
the  River. — Reconnoitre  at  Drainesville. — Feint  of  Goman’s  Brig- 
ade at  Edward’s  Ferry. — Attack  of  the  Enemy  from  the  Woods. — 
Union  Troops  Exposed  to  a Murderous  Fire. — Death  of  Baker. — 
Ineffectual  Means  of  Transportation. — Attempts  to  Regain  the 
Maryland  Shore. — Troops  Shot  or  Drowned  in  Crossing. — Defeat 
of  the  Union  Arms. — Causes  of  the  Disaster 62 

CHAPTER  VI 
MILL  SPRING. 

Geographical  Location  of  Mill  Spring. — Encampment  of  Zollicoffer. — 
Occupancy  of  Logan’s  Cross  Roads  by  Union  Troops. — The  Enemy 
Hedged  in. — Starvation  or  Battle. — Zollicoffer  Leads  the  Rebel  Ad- 
vance — Colonel  Fry  Discovers  a General’s  Uniform  under  a Rubber 
Overcoat. — The  Fatal  Shot. — Zollicoffer  Falls. — Consternation  and 
Rout  of  the  Enemy. — A Deserted  Camp. — Victory  for  the  “Boys 
in  Blue.”  68 


CHAPTER  VII. 

PEA  RIDGE. 

The  Boston  Mountains  Camp. — Red  Skin  Re  enforcements. — Sigel’s 
Ten-mile  Fight. — The  Long  Battle- Line. — “ War’s  Thunders  and 
Flowers  of  Red  Shot.” — Sigel  Frustrates  McCulloch. — Struggle 
Between  Osterhaus  and  McCulloch. — Bold  Charge  of  Indiana 
Troops.— Re-enforcements — Night  brings  a Suspension  of  Hostili- 
ties — Battle  at  Sunrise. — Terrible  Array  of  Union  Batteries. — Two 
Hours  of  Iron  Hail. — The  Enemy  Completely  Routed. — Precipitous 
Retreat  to  the  Boston  Mountains. — Death  of  McCulloch. — Fearful 
Barbarities. — Burial  of  the  Dead. — Elk  Horn.  ......  72 


COX  TEXTS. 


XI 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

MERRIMAC  AND  MONITOR. 

The  Projection  of  the  Monitor. — Ericsson’s  Visit  to  Washington. — The 
Merriinac  Launched. — Arrival  off  Newport  News. — Attack  on  the 
Cumlierland — Heroism  of  the  Crew. — No  Surrender. — Sublime 
Bravery. — thinking  of  the  ill-fated  Frigate  — The  Burning  of  the 
Congress. — Despair  of  the  Fleet. — The  Speck  of  Light  on  the 
Waves. — Arrival  of  the  Monitor. — The  Merriinac  Again  Appears. — 
The  Strange  Looking  Antagonist. — The  Fight  Opens. — Fierce  Con- 
flict— The  Baptism  of  Fire. — Four  Hours  of  Battle. — The  Merri- 
inac  Signals  for  Help. — The  Monitor  Victorious. — Our  Fleet  Saved  — 
Cheers  of  the  Multitude 80 

CHAPTER  IX. 

NEWBERN. 

The  City  and  its  Connections. — Rebel  Fortifications  — Assemblage  of 
Gunboats  at  Hatteras. — The  Advance  Down  Pamlico  Sound. — 
Slocum’s  Creek  Landing. — The  Long  March.  The  Forest  Camp 
Fires. — Attack  on  the  Outer  Fortifications. — Impetuous  Bravery 
of  Union  Troops. — Heroic  Charge  Through  an  Embrasure. — The 
Old  Flag  Floats  Over  the  Captured  Fort. — Entrance  into  New- 
bem.  Ten  o’clock  and  All  is  Well.  Battle  of  the  Fleet. — Brilliant 
Advance  of  the  Gunboats. — All  Difficulties  Conquered  — Victory 
and  its  Spoils. — The  Sabbath  Bells 94 

CHAPTER  X. 

WINCHESTER. 

Topography  of  the  Battle-Ground. — General  Banks’  Occupation  of 
Winchester. — Stonewall  Jackson’s  Attack. — Disposition  of  Forces. — 
The  Battle. — Unwavering  Firmness  of  Union  Troops. — Heroic 
Defence  of  the  National  Colors  bv  the  Fifth  Ohio. — “ ’Tis  sweet  for 
One’s  Country  to  Die.” — The  Enemy  put  to  Rout. — Stonewall 
Jackson  in  Retreat  — A Night  of  Sleep  After  a Day  of  Battle. — 
Kernstown. — Sheridan’s  Ride 106 

CHAPTER  XI. 

FALMOUTH  HEIGHTS. 

General  McDowell  in  Command  of  the  Armv  of  Virginia. — Advance 
to  Bristoe  and  Falmouth. — Harris  Light  Leading  the  Advance. — 
Sudden  Fire  on  the  Van-guard. — Furious  Charge  upon  the  Rebel 
Cavalry. — Death  of  Lieutenant  Decker — His  Comrades  Avenge 
His  Death. — The  Enemy  Scattered  Like  Chaff  Before  the  Whirl- 
wind.—Outposts,  Stores  and  Provisions  Captured. — A Loyal 
Southern  Citizen  Greets  the  O'd  Flag. — Plan  for  a Night  Attack 
on  Falmouth. — Brilliant  Capture  of  the  Place  by  Kilpatrick.  . 119 


COX  TEN  rs. 


xii 


CHAPTER  XII 

PITTSBURG  LANDING. 

The  Log  Cabin  Church. — Buell’s  March  from  Nashville. — The  Union 
Camp  Surprised. — The  Rude  Awakening. — Sleep  Exchanged  for 
Death. — Rally  of  the  Boys  in  Blue. — Slaughter  from  the  Woods. — 
Stand  on  the  Corinth  Road. — The  Brave  Resistance — The  Wave 
of  Rebellion  Hurled  Back. — Six  Hours  of  Magnificent  Fighting. — 
A Glorious  Record. — Wallace  Falls. — The  impregnable  Line. — 
Tyler  and  Lexington  Gunboats. — Death  of  Confederate  Johnston. — 
Buell  Reaches  the  Landing. — Last  Day’s  Fight — Capture  of  Field 
Pieces. — Confederates  in  Retreat. — Splendid  Victory. — Harvest  of 
Death . . . 118 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

WILLIAMSBURG. 

Battle  of  Williamsburg. — Scene  of  the  Battle. — Historic  Monuments. — 
College  of  William  and  Mary. — Washington  and  Patrick  Henry. — 
Amusing  Inscriptions  on  Tombstones. — The  Battle  Opens. — At- 
tack of  General  Hooker. — Approaches  to  Fort  McGruder. — Bravery 
of  Kearney. — Gallantry  of  General  Heintzelman. —Defe  at  and  Re- 
treat of  the  Enemy 129 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

SEVEN  PINES. 

The  Preliminaries  of  Battle. — Cannonading  and  Picket-firing. — Vig- 
orous Attack  of  the  Confederates — Undaunted  Bravery  of  the 
Unionists. — General  Casey  Unjustly  Censured. — Testimony  of  the 
Enemy. — Incidents  of  the  Battle-field. — Sufferings  of  the  Wounded. 
— The  First  Night  after  Battle 136 

CHAPTER  XV. 

FAIR  OAKS. 

Positions  Occupied  by  the  Contending  Forces. — General  Hooker  Com- 
mences the  Action. — Advance  of  Sickles,  Grover,  and  Robinson. — 
General  Kearney  and  Colonel  Hicks  Protect  the  Flan  ks. — Both 
Annies  Enveloped  in  a Cloud  of  Smoke. — The  Engagement  Becomes 
General. — Defeat  of  the  Rebels. — They  Fly  to  Their  Entrench- 
ments.— McClellan  Orders  a Cessation  of  Hostilities. — Renewal  of 
the  Battle. — Rout  and  Final  Defeat  of  the  Enemy.  . . . 143 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

MALVERN  niLL. 

Battle  of  Malvern  Hill. — The  Final  Engagement  of  the  Peninsular 
Campaign. — Scene  of  the  Battle. — Influence  of  our  Gunboats. — At- 
tack of  the  Rebels  led  by  General  Magruder. — Destructive  Firo 


COXTIuXTS. 


xiii 

from  Federal  Cannon. — The  Rebels  Repulsed. — They  Reform  and 
Charge  Again. — Another  Tempest  of  Fire  from  our  Batteries 
Sweeps  them  from  the  Field. — Their  Guns  are  Silenced,  the  Horses 
Killed  and  Regiments  Cut  Down. — McClellan  Orders  a Retreat  to 
Harrison’s  Landing.— Indignation  of  the  Army. — General  Kearney 
Protests  Against  ttie  Order  for  Retreat. — General  Martindale  Sheds 
Tears  of  Shame 147 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

CEDAR  MOUNTAIN. 

The  Battle-ground  — Jackson  En  route  for  Culpepper. — Occupancy  of 
Cedar  Mountain. — Three  Miles  of  Batteries. — Banks  Receives  the 
Attack. — A Rain  of  Fire. — Charge  on  Enemy’s  Battery. — Over- 
whelmed by  Superior  Numbers. — Ricketts  to  the  Front. — Enemy 
Compelled  to  Fall  Back. — Artillery  Battle  at  Night. — Interment  of 
Fallen  Braves. — Losses. — The  Enemy  Retires.  — Cedar  Mountain 
Occupied  by  Union  Troops 157 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

BRANDY  STATION. 

First  Battle. — Lee  Resumes  Hostilities. — Stuart’s  Cavalry  Attack  — 
Gallant  Repulse  by  Kilpatrick. — Second  Battle. — Skirmish  at  Kelly’s 
Ford. — Splendid  Charge  of  the  Union  Army. — Complete  Rout  of  the 
Enemy. — Heroic  Feats  on  the  Field. — Charge  of  the  First  Maine. — 
Fall  of  Colonel  Davis. — Third  Battle. — The  Enemy  Swept  from  the 
Plains. — Prisoners  and  Materials  of  War  Captured. — Fourth  Bat- 
tle.— Critical  Situation  of  Kilpatrick.— Bravery  of  Custer  and  Da- 
vies.— The  Exultant  Battle-Cry. — Fresh  Laurels  for  the  Union 
Troops. — Scene  on  the  Battle-field. — The  Writer’s  Part  in  the  Four 
Contests 161 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

MANASSAS,  OR  SECOND  BULL  RUN. 

The  Opening  Scene. — Sigel  in  the  Foreground. — Sharp  Skirmish  on 
the  Twenty-eighth. — Fitz-John  Porter’s  Delay. — Attack  on  the 
Twenty-ninth. — Bayonet  Charge  of  Grover’s  Brigade. — Thorough- 
fare Gap  Left  Open. — The  Enemy  Re-enforced. — Victory  on  the 
Twenty-ninth. — Where  Was  Porter? — Pope’s  Despatch  — Battle  of 
the  Thirtieth. — Exhausted  Troops. — Out  of  Rations. — Pope  Dis- 
couraged.— Our  Forces  at  Centreville. — Personal  Experience. — A 
Shell  from  the  Enemy  and  What  it  Did — An  Unknown  Hero. — 
“ Tear  off  Your  Chevrons.” — Successful  Stand. — Charge  of  the 
Harris  Light  Cavalry 180 

CHAPTER  XX. 

CHANTILLY. 

Union  Troops  on  the  Defensive. — Historic  Chantilly. — Pope  at  Fair 
fax  Court-House. — Stonewall  Jackson’s  Attack.— The  Battle  of  the 


Sky. — Furious  Charges. — The  Enemy  Repulsed. — Death  of  Stevens 
and  Kearny. — The  March  to  Washington. — Pope  Resigns. — Porter 
Cashiered. — Tribute  to  Kearny 193 


CHAPTER  XXI 

ANT1ETAM. 


The  Enemy  Concentrating  on  Antietam  Creek. — S'onewall  Jackson 
Jlas  the  Left. — Battle  at  Daybreak. — The  Contested  Cornfield  — 
llobker  Wounded. — Furious  Struggle. — Fate  of  the  Thirty-Fourth 
New  York. — War’s  Fierce  Tug. — Franklin  and  Fresh  Troops. — 
Four  Times  Lost  and  Won — Burnside  Takes  the  Bridge. — Union 
Troops  Carry  the  Hill  and  are  Driven  Back. — McClellan  Sends 
Aid.  — A Moment  when  Events  Hang  in  the  Balance. — “ rJ  he 
Bridge  1 — Always  the  Bridge  !” — McClellan’s  Star  in  the  Ascendant. 

197 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


CORINTH. 

Topography  of  the  Battle-ground. — The  Enemy  Marching  upon 
Corinth. — Price  and  Van  Dorn  Unite  their  Forces. — Three  Tiers  of 
Earthworks. — Preliminary  Battle  of  the  Third. — Generalship  of 
Rosecrans. — Battle  of  the  Fourth. — Two  Hours  of  Hot  Work.— 
Forts  Richardson  and  Kobinett. — Price  Driven  Back. — Desperate 
Charge  of  Van  Dorn. — A Forlorn  Hope. — Colonel  Rogers. — The 
Enemy  Driven.— Confusion  and  Flight. — Heaps  of  Slain. — The 
Handkerchief  Flags. — “■  For  God’s  Sake  Spare  us  !” — Pursuit  of  the 
Foe. — Captured  Spoils. — West  Tennessee  Safe.  ....  £05 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

FREDERICKSBURG. 

Burnside  in  Command  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. — The  Advance 
to  Fredericksburg. — -Surrender  of  the  City  Refused. — Confederate 
and  Union  Cavalry  Raids. — Capture  of  Rebel  Picket-Posts. — lx- 
odus  of  ( itizens  from  Fredericksburg. — Delay  in  Laying  Pontoons. 
— The  Seventh  Michigan  Crossing  the  River  under  a Murderous 
Fire. — Death  of  a Massachusetts  Chaplain. — General  Gibbon  Opens 
the  Battle. — Desperate  Fighting. — Terrific  Charge  of  Meade’s  Di- 
vision.— The  Hillside  Strewn  with  the  Dead. — Death  of  Bayard. — 
Night  after  the  Battle. — Heart-rending  Scenes. — Termination  of  the 
Campaign  of  1 St> 2 213 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 


MURFREESBORO  OR  STONE  RIVER. 


Rosecrans  in  Command  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland. — The 
Christmas  Night  War-Council  — The  Muddv  March  Southward  — 
The  Midnight  Cavalcade. — “ Push  Them  Hard.” — Fog  and  Hard 


CONTENTS. 


XV 


Marching. — In  front  of  Murfreesboro. — The  Rail  Tent. — The  Calm 
that  Precedes  the  Battle-Storm — Star  S.pangled  Banner. — McCook 
Surprised. — Sheridan  Stands  Firm. — The  Battle  nearly  Lost  — Gen- 
eral Rosecrans  Turns  the  Tide. — Desperate  Valor. — Negley’s  Men 
Cut  their  Way  Through  the  Confederate  Ranks. — The  Enemy 
Driven. — The  Last  Grand  Charge. — Magnificent  Victory. — Rose- 
crans’ Star  in  the  Ascendant 222 

CHAPTER  XXV 
CHANCELLORSVILLE. 

Successful  Strategy  of  General  Hooker. — Crossing  the  Rappahannock 
at  Sunrise. — I he  Chancellorsville  House — Lee’s  Position  Flanked. 
— The  Battle  Opened  by  Sykes. — Loss  of  Prestige  and  Position  by 
the  Union  Troops. — Capture  of  Prisoners  by  General  Birnev. — 
Stonewall  Jackson  Appears  Upon  the  Scene.  — Our  Divisions  Over- 
whelmed by  the  Rebel  Hordes. — A Frantic  Stampede. — Heroism  of 
Major  Keenan,  and  his  men. — Death  of  Stonewall  Jackson. — A Fatal 
Hour. — Beating  a Retreat. — Hooker’s  Words  of  Praise. — Lincoln 
Visits  the  Camp  at  Falmouth 234 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

ALDLE. 

Hooker  Entraps  Lee. — Reconnoissance  of  Pleasanton. — Aldie  in 
Sight. — The  Grand  Charge. — Harris  Light  in  the  Van. — Fitzhugh 
Lee’s  Desperate  Efforts. — The  Desired  Opportunity. — Battle  of  the 
Haystacks. — The  Harris  Light  Wins. — Colonel  Cesnola. — The 
Sword  Presentation. — Last  Desperate  Attempt  of  the  Enemy. — 
Driven  From  the  Field  in  Panic. — 1 he  Battle  Won.  . . . 247 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

L'PPERYILLE. 

Union  Advance  from  Middleburg — Rebel  Pickets  Encountered. — The 
Fight  Commenced. — Stone  Fence  Barricades. — A Succession  of 
Brilliant  Charges  — The  Harris  Light  Drives  the  Enemy.  — Splen- 
did Cavalry  Action. — Stand  at  Upperville. — The  Enemy  Again 
Driven. — Union  Forces  Triumphant. — General  Pleasanton’s  Re- 
port  ...  253 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

GETTYSBURG. 

Meade  in  Command  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. — The  Camp  on 
Marsh  Run. — The  Advance  to  Gettysburg. — Charge  of  Buford’s 
Cavalry  on  the  Rebel  Van-guard. — The  Enemy  Driven  Back. — 
Fall  of  General  Reynolds. — Capture  of  General  Archer  and  Eight 


XVI 


CONTENTS. 


Hundred  Prisoners  — Victory  Followed  by  Defeat  — The  Eleventh 
Corps  Break  and  Fly. — Strengthening  the  Union  Position. — Occu- 
pancy of  Culp’s  Hili  and  Hound  Top. — Sickle’s  Command  Shat- 
tered.— Activity  of  Kilpatrick’s  Cavalry. — The  Enemy  Falls  Back 
to  Benner’s  Hill. — The  Last  Effort. — Terrible  Slaughter  of  Troops. 
— The  Desperate  Final  Charge. — The  Tempest  of  Fire. — Death  of 
Farnsworth. — Capture  of  Prisoners. — Glorious  Victory.  . . 257 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

VICKSBURG. 

The  Impregnable  Stronghold. — The  Batteries  of  the  Bluff. — The 
Siege  Begun. — A Keign  of  Terror. — Assault  of  the  Nineteenth.— 
Distributing  Rations. — Assault  of  the  Twenty-second. — Desperate 
"Work. — Sergeant  Griffith  and  the  Brave.  Eleven. — Union  Colors 
on  Enemy’s  Bastion. — McPherson’s  Losses. — Failure  to  Carry  the 
Works. — Six  Weeks’  Siege. — The  Enemy  Starved  Out. — The  VV’hite 
Flag. — Surrender. — Grant’s  Triumphant  Entrance  into  Vicksburg.. 
— “Rally  Round  the  Flag.” — Close  of  the  Campaign. — Lincoln’s 
Letter 278 

CHAPTER  XXX. 


PORT  HUDSON. 


The  Citadel  on  the  Bluffs. — Four  Miles  of  Batteries. — The  Pledge  of 
the  Northwest. — First  Operations  against  Port  Hudson. — The 
Stronghold  Invested. — General  Assault. — Repulse  and  Loss. — 
Bravery  of  Officers  and  Men. — Colonel  Bartlett. — Heroic  Conduct 
of  Colored  Troops. — The  Siege  Carried  Forward. — Gloomy  Out- 
look.— Another  General  Assault. — Heavy  Losses. — The  Enemy 
Starving. — The  Delicacies  of  a Rat  Stew. — Announcement  of  the 
Surrender  of  Vicksburg. — The  Council  of  War  in  the  Camp  on  the 
Bluffs. — Unconditional  Surrender  of  Port  Hudson. — “ Flag  of  Union 
and  Freedom  Wave!” — The  Promise  of  the  Northwest  Redeemed. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


289 


FALLING  WATERS. 

Kilpatrick’s  Advance  to  Hagerstown. — Lee’s  Position. — Efforts  to 
Cross  the  Swollen  Potomac. — Meade  Decides  to  Attack  the  Con- 
federates.— The  Escape  by  Night. — Kilpatrick’s  Discovery. — The 
Cavalry  in  Motion. — The  Encounter  at  Falling  Waters.— The 
Enemy  Surprised. — Hard  Fighting. — Death  of  Pettigrew. — Union 
Victory.— Capture  of  Battle-Flags  and  Prisoners. — Kilpatrick’s 
Letter 300 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 


CHICKAMAUGA. 

Under  the  Shadow  of  Lookout  Mountain. — Evacuation  of  Chattanoo- 
ga.— The  Long  Battle-line. — Bragg  Contests  the  Union  Advance. — 
Disposition  of  Troops  at  Chickamauga  Creek. — Attack  of  the  Nine- 


CONTEXTS. 


XVII 


teenth. — Fierce  Struggle  for  Position. — Bragg’s  Attack  of  the 
Twentieth — Furious  Fighting. — Buckner’s  Battery  and  its  Deadly 
Work. — The  Union  Army  Cut  in  Two. — Thomas  on  Missionary 
Ridge. — The  Storm  Breaks. — Desperate  Assault  of  Longstreet. — 
Repulse  of  the  Confederates. — Thomas,  Master  of  the  Field. — The 
Enemy  in  Retreat. — Occupation  of  Chattanooga. — Letter  of  Rose- 
crans 307 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

BRISTOE. 

Condition  of  Meade’s  Army. — " Goin<j  Home  to  Vote.” — Lee’s  Ad- 
vance.— Cavalry  Encounter. — Roast  Lamb  and  Coffee  Left  Behind. 
— Order  for  Retreat. — Fight  at  James  City. — Incidents  of  the  Day. — 
On  to  Washington. — Stuart  Hemmed  in  at  Catlett’s  Station — The 
Pine  Thicket. — The  Concealed  Force. — Hill  Entangled. — Battle  of 
Bristoe. — Sharp  Fighting. — The  Confederates  Beaten. — Lee  in  Full 
Retreat. — The  Campaign  Ended 316 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

NEW  BALTIMORE. 

Kilpatrick’s  First  Defeat. — Stuart  Covers  the  Retreat  of  Lee. — En 
Route  for  Warrenton. — Fitzhugh  Lee’s  Attack  — Charge  of  Stuart’s 
Cavalry. — Surrounded  on  All  Sides. — Kilpatrick’s  Generalship. — 
The  Desperate  Charge  — Holocaust  of  Death. — The  Author’s  Cap- 
ture.— In  Warrenton  Jail. — A Specimen  of  Southern  Chivalry. — 
Kilpatrick’s  Dinner  Interrupted. — Case  of  the  Campaign.  . 323 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

FORT  FISIIER. 

Outer  Defences  of  Wilmington. — Blockade-running. — Admiral  Por- 
ter’s Expedition. — Rough  Weather. — The  Attack. — The  Torpedo 
Vessel. — The  First  Day’s  Bombardment.  — Reconnoissance. — 
Strength  of  the  Fort. — Return  to  Hampton  Roads. — Renewed 
Preparations  — Attack  of  the  Second  Expedition  — Bivouac  Fires. — 
Terrible  Bombardment. — Desperate  Assault  of  Union  Troops. — 
They  Effect  a Lodgment. — The  Attack  goes  on. — The  Last  Trenches 
Cleared. — Fort  Fisher  Ours. — Valor  of  Colored  Troops. — Spoils  of 
Victory 329 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

OLUSTEE. 

Expedition  to  Florida. — Sailing  of  the  Fleet.— John  Hay. — Lincoln’s 
Letter. — Objects  of  the  Expedition. — The  Camp  at  Jacksonville. — 
Seymonr’s  Sudden  Move. — Attempt  to  Checkmate  the  Enemy  at 
Olustee. — Hemmed  in  by  Swamps. — The  Fatal  Surprise. — Over- 
whelmed by  Superior  Numbers. — Decimated  Ranks. — The  Battle 
Lost — Seymour  s Bravery. — Patten  Anderson. — Who  was  to  blame ? 

338 


CONTENTS. 


xviii 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

FORT  PILLOW. 

One  of  the  Outgrowths  of  Slavery. — The  Negro  Soldiery. — Confed 
erate  Law.— The  Black  Flag. — Location  of  Fort  Pillow. — Forrest 
Before  the  Defences. — Severe  Fighting. — No  Surrender. — Flags  of 
Truce. — Treachery. — Surprise  of  the  Fort. — Overwhelmed  by  the 
Enemy. — The  Butchery  Commenced— Horrible  Scenes. — The  In- 
humanity of  Man. — Influence  of  Slavery 345 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

COLD  HARBOR. 

Cold  Harbor  Tavern. — The  Historic  Cross  Roads. — Grant’s  Design  of 
Forcing  the  Chickahominy. — Disposition  of  Troops. — Preliminary 
Fighting. — The  Battle  Inaugurated  by  a Thunder  Storm. — The 
Grand  Attack. — Gallant  Dash  of  the  Second  Corps. — The  Posi- 
tion Gained  and  Lost. — Vantage-ground  of  the  Enemy. — Failure  of 
Grant’s  coup-de-main. — The  Heroic  Brigade  of  Colonel  McKean. — 
The  New  Thermopylae. — The  Enemy’s  Last  Attack. — The  Curtain 
Falls  on  Cold  Harbor 352 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

FORT  WAGNER. 

Site  of  the  Fort. — First  Assault. — Bombardment  from  the  Fleet  — 
Heaven’s  Artillery. — The  Advance  at  Night. — The  1 'olored  Regi- 
ment.— Furious  Assault  and  Terrible  Slaughter. — Bravery  of  Col- 
ored Troops. — Death  of  Colonel  Shaw. — Waiting  under  a Hail- 
storm of  Death. — The  Possession  of  an  Hour. — Repulse  and  Losses. 
— Wagner  Impervious  to  Assault. — Progress  of  the  Siege. — The 
“ Swamp  Angel  ” — Fort  Sumter  in  Ruins. — Calcium  Lights. — The 
Enemy  Driven  to  the  Wall. — Wagner  Evacuated. — Spoils  of  Vic- 
tory  360 


CHAPTER  XL. 

CEDAR  CREEK. 

Sheridan  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley. — Pursuit  of  Early. — Cedar  Creek 
Encampment. — The  Enemy  Re-enforced — The  Determined  Attack. 
— The  Silent  March. — The  Slumbering  Army  Surprised. — The  Wild 
Yell  through  the  Fog.— The  Union  Army  a Mass  of  Fugitives. — The 
Nineteenth  Corps  Forced  Back  by  the  Wave  of  Retreat — Efforts  of 
the  Brave  Sixth  — The  Fight  Near  Middletown. — Sheridan  at  Win- 
chester.— His  Wild  Ride. — The  Stream  of  Fugitives  Arrested  — The 
Union  Battle-line  Re-formed  — Our  Victorious  Charge. — The  Ene- 
my Routed  in  Confusion. — Honor  to  Sheridan 369 


CONTENTS. 


XIX 


CHAPTER  XLI. 

WAYNESBORO. 

Personal  Experiences. — Concealed  in  a Cypress  Swamp. — The  Union 
Guns. — Wheeler  at  Waynesboro. — The  Enemy’s  Attack  on  Atkins. 
— Repulse. — Kilpatrick  Charges  the  Barricades,  Everything  Swept 
before  Them. — Valor  of  Union  Soldiers. — Wheeler  in  Disordered 
Flight. — Union  Pursuit. — Kilpatrick’s  Report. — Sherman’s  Com- 
plimentary Letter.-— Incidents  in  the  Author’s  Escape.  . 381 

CHAPTER  XL II. 

BENTONVILLE. 

The  Hostile  Country  of  the  Carolinas. — Sherman’s  Five  Hundred  Mile 
March. — The  Country  Desolated. — A Carnival  of  fire. — Arrival  at 
Bentonville. — Johnston  Encountered. — Battle  of  Bentonville. — The 
Enemy  Repulsed.— Bravery  of  Slocum’s  Men. — Sherman’s  Army 
Intrenched.— Entrance  into  Goldsboro. — The  Goal  Won. — Glorious 
Success. — Congratulatory  Order  of  General  Sherman.  . . . 3bt> 

CHAPTER  XLIII. 

FIVE  FORKS. 

Grant  and  Sherman  in  Consultation. — The  End  Drawing  Near. — 
Grand  Combination  of  Movements. — Sheridan  E'i  route  for  Five 
Forks. — Importance  of  Holding  Five  Forks. — The  March  Through 
the  Rain. — Engagement  on  the  White  Oak  Road — The  Union 
Ranks  Victorious. — The  Sunday  Fight. — Grant  Takes  Advantage 
of  His  Victory. — Captured  Prisoners. — Davis  Flying  from  Rich- 
mond.— Evacuation  of  Richmond  and  Petersburg. — The  End  Draw- 
ing Near 392 


CHAPTER  XLI V. 

THE  SURRENDER. 

The  Last  Act  in  the  Drama. — The  Historic  Farm-House. — Events 
Succeeding  the  Battle  of  Five  Forks. — Lee’s  Army  Hemmed  in. — 
Engagement  at  Barnesville. — The  Enemy  Hopelessly  Surrounded. — 
Extermination  or  Surrender. — Triumphant  Entrance  into  Rich- 
mond.— Lincoln’s  Levee  in  the  Confederate  Capital. — The  Last 
Act. — Palm  Sunday  Anniversary. — Universal  Rejoicing.  . 398 


Page. 

PORTRAIT  OF  AUTHOR,  (Steel) Frontispiece. 

BOMBARDMENT  OF  FORT  SUMTER 25 

WILSON’S  CREEK 55 

TOE  MERRIMAC  AND  MONITOR 85 

NIGIIT  ATTACK  ON  FALMOUTO  HEIGHTS, 115 

MALVERN  HILL, 151 

BRANDY  STATION, 167 

GETTYSBURG, 273 


ARRIVAL  OF  SHERIDAN  AT  THE  BATTLE  OF  CEDAR  CREEK,  361 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


CHAPTER  I 


IF'OIE^T  SUMTER. 


First  Causes. — United  States  Property  Seized. — Uprising  of  the  North. 
— The  Little  Band  at  the  Nation’s  Outpost. — From  Moultrie  to 
Snmter. — The  Landing  at  Night. — Moultrie  in  Flames. — Star  of 
the  West. — No  Help  Yet. — Alone  to  Defend  the  Old  Flag. — Starva- 
tion Ahead. — Communications  Cut  Off. — No  Surrender. — The  Bom- 
bardment.— Terrific  Cannonading. — The  Barracks  on  Fire. — Not  a 
Biscuit  Left. — Out  of  Ammunition. — Wigfall  and  his  White  Flag. — 
Sumter  Surrenders  on  its  Own  Terms. — The  Defeat  a Glorious 
Victory. 


OR  years  the  irrepressible  conflict  between  slavery 


JJ  and  freedom  had  been  proclaimed  by  the  wise  and 
disbelieved  by  the  unthinking.  For  years  the  storm 
cloud,  which  in  1861  broke  over  the  nation’s  bead, 
bad  been  slowly  gathering  with  ever  accumulating 
wrath.  Some  near-sighted  but  well-intentioned  peo- 
ple supposed  that  the  lightning  could  be  extracted 
from  the  threatening  cloud  by  sending  up  the  ‘ Com- 
promise ’ kite,  with  its  hempen  string  of  ‘ Mason  and 
Dixon’s  Line,’  but  the  guns  of  Sumter  undeceived 
them.  Those  guns  awoke  the  nation  from  its  fancied 
repose  and  echoed,  not  only  over  Charleston  Harbor, 
but  along  the  Atlantic  coast  and  through  the  entire 


North 


With  a grand  and  unanimous  uprising  not  paral- 
leled in  history,  the  men  of  the  free  North  flocked 


(21) 


22 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


around  the  nation’s  standard  and  offered  their  lives 
and  fortunes  in  its  defence. 

The  people,  before  dormant,  awoke  suddenly  to  find 
that  they  had  been  sleeping  on  the  edge  of  a crater 
whose  boiling  lava  of  injustice  and  slavery  threatened 
to  engulf  them. 

At  the  nation’s  outpost,  in  Charleston  Harbor,  alone 
with  his  little  band,  Major  Robert  Anderson  awaited, 
behind  the  embrasures  of  Fort  Sumter,  the  first  attack 
of  the  insurgents. 

“ The  property  of  the  General  Government  south 
of  the  Potomac,  with  the  exception  of  Fortress  Mon- 
roe, Fort  Sumter,  Fort  Pickens,  and  the  Tortugas,  had 
been  successively  seized  by  tbe  authorities  of  the 
states  within  which  they  were  situated.” 

“ The  three  forts  that  then  defended  Charleston  Har- 
bor were  Fort  Moultrie,'  of  Revolutionary  fame,  on 
Sullivan’s  Island  ; Castle  Pinckney,  near  the  city ; and 
Fort  Sumter,  a new  structure  on  an  island  in  the 
channel,  commanding  all  the  approaches  to  the  city. 
It  had  been  erected  by  the  Federal  Government  at 
considerable  cost,  and  was  not  yet  so  far  complete  as 
to  receive  a garrison.  The  place  was  calculated  for 
one  hundred  and  forty-six  guns  and  a war  garrison 
of  six  hundred  and  fifty  men.  The  only  force  that 
the  Federal  Government  had  for  these  three  forts  was 
a single  company  of  artillery  in  Fort  Moultrie,  under 
command  of  Major  Anderson.”  In  December,  1860, 
his  garrison,  occupying  Fort  Moultrie,  found  it  dif- 
cult  to  strengthen,  and  as  the  authorities  at  Charles- 
ton grew  hourly  more  threatening,  Major  Anderson,  on 
his  own  responsibility,  abandoned  the  place  for  Fort 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


23 


Sumter,  -where  at  ten  o’clock  on  the  night  of  the 
twenty-sixth  his  force  disembarked  from  row  boats. 

“ A few  men  were  left  at  Moultrie  under  Captain 
Foster  to  cut  down  the  flag-staff,  spike  the  guns,  burn 
the  carriages  and  dismantle  the  place.” 

As  the  flames  went  up  from  Moultrie,  Charleston 
saw  what  had  happened  and  great  excitement  spread 
to  that  city  and  throughout  the  country.  The  action 
of  Major  Anderson  was  lauded  at  the  North  and 
denounced  at  the  South. 

But  his  new  position  at  Fort  Sumter  was  of  doubtful 
advantage.  He  could  not  be  surprised  here  as  at 
Moultrie,  but  his  communications  were  cut  off  and  there 
-was  a prospect  ahead  of  being  starved  out,  unless  help 
arrived.  Help  was  sent  by  our  Government,  but  the 
vigilant  Charleston  authorities,  ever  on  the  alert,  pre- 
vented the  landing  of  supplies  and  reenforcements. 

Fort  Moultrie  was  repaired  and  garrisoned  by  the 
insurgents,  and  on  Sullivan  and  Morris  Islands  new 
batteries  were  built. 

Troops  were  tendered  to  the  Governor  of  South 
Carolina  by  three  of  the  slave-holding  states,  and 
the  palmetto  flag  waved  over  the  post-office  and  Cus- 
tom House  at  Charleston.  The  streets  of  that  city 
were  patrolled  by  the  military;  the  telegraph  was 
under  censorship  and  the  efforts  of  the  authorities 
were  directed  toward  getting  possession  of  Sumter. 

Major  Anderson  and  his  hero  band  worked  steadily 
on,  strengthening  the  Fort  as  best  they  could.  Around 
them,  battery  after  battery  arose,  each  one  cutting  off 
more  surely  their  hope  of  succor. 

Their  stock  of  food  rapidly  lessened,  despite  its 
most  economic  distribution. 


24 


BATTLES  FUR  T1IE  UNION . 


Oil  January  fifth,  1861,  the  steamship  “Star  of  the 
West”  left  New  York  with  supplies  and  two  hundred 
men  for  Fort  Sumter,  and  arrived  off  Charleston  bar 
at  one  o’clock  on  the  morning  of  the  ninth.  The 
lights  of  the  steamship  had  been  extinguished  to 
insure  greater  safety,  but  as  the  “ Star  of  the  West” 
passed  over  the  harbor  bar,  a steamboat  lying  in  wait, 
recognized  her  and  signalled  ashore.  At  a distance 
of  half  a mile  from  Morris  Island,  she  was  fired  upon 
by  a shore  battery.  Raising  a large  National  flag  at 
her  mast-head  she  swept  on,  the  Rebel  shot  over-reach- 
ing her,  until  at  last,  having  got  her  range,  two  cannon 
balls  took  effect — forward  and  amidships.  As  she 
proceeded  on  her  way,  two  steamers,  having  in  tow  an 
armed  schooner,  approached  from  Fort  Moultrie,  evi- 
dently intending  to  cut  her  off.  The  choice  was  one 
of  capture  or  destruction,  and  the  supply  ship  therefore 
put  about  and  returned  to  New  York. 

Major  Anderson  and  his  artillery  company  had 
watched  the  approach  of  the  “Star  of  the  West,” 
withholding  meantime  his  fire  upon  the  land  batteries 
because  he  could  not  believe  the  act  authorized  by  the 
state,  and  not  knowing  that  the  ship  was  coming  to 
their  relief.  “ He  immediately  dispatched  a message 
to  Governor  Pickens  denouncing  the  act  as  one  of  war 
and  threatening  that  unless  it  was  disavowed  he  would 
not  permit  any  vessel  to  pass  within  range  of  his 
guns.”  Major  Anderson  afterwards  referred  the  mat- 
ter to  his  Government  and  requested  that  Lieutenant 
Talbot,  bearer  of  despatches,  might  have  facilities 
extended  to  him  for  his  departure. 

On  April  twelfth,  1861,  the  Rebels  demanded  the 


BOMBARDMENT  OF  FORT  SUMTER. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


25 


surrender  of  Port  Sumter.  Major  Anderson  replied 
that  “ his  sense  of  honor  and  his  obligations  to  the 
Government  would  prevent  his  compliance  ” with  the 
demand.  At  half-past  four  o’clock  on  the  morning  of 
the  twelfth,  the  National  flag  was  fired  upon  and  the 
war  of  rebellion  inaugurated.  The  heavy  batteries  of 
Mt.  Pleasant  and  Cummings  Point,  a floating  battery 
in  the  harbor  and  Fort  Moultrie  all  poured  in  their 
red  rain  of  shot  and  shell  on  the  devoted  heads  of  the 
patriot  band  in  Sumter.  For  two  hours  this  terrific 
bombardment  was  received  without  a reply,  while 
crumbling  walls  tottered  around  them  and  exploding 
shells  fell  thick  and  fast. 

Calmly,  at  half-past  six  o’clock,  these  men  number- 
ing less  than  a hundred,  sat  down  under  this  fiery 
tempest  to  breakfast  on  their  last  biscuit.  Afterwards 
they  prepared  heroically  to  resist  the  attack  of  an 
army  of  ten  thousand,  aided  by  an  overpowering  array 
of  batteries. 

The  company  was  divided  into  three  reliefs,  and 
Captain  Doubleday  with  Lieutenant  Snyder  in  charge 
of  the  first  relief,  opened  the  return  fire.  The  enthu- 
siasm of  the  men  was  very  great,  and  they  remained 
steadily  at  the  guns  until  relieved.  The  Columbiads 
and  sea  howitzers  on  the  parapet  were  disabled,  and 
the  firing  in  that  quarter  became  so  intense  that  the 
men  were  withdrawn  to  the  casemates. 

It  also  became  impossible  to  work  the  barbette  or 
upper  uncovered  guns.  A sentinel  cried  out  “ shot  ” 
or  “ shell  ” at  every  discharge  of  the  enemy’s  guns 
and  the  men  were  thus  enabled  to  obtain  shelter. 

For  thirty-six  Hours  was  this  unequal  contest  waged. 

2 


26 


BAT  TUX  FOR  TIIK  UN  l OX. 


From  the  dawn  of  Friday  morning  until  near  the 
close  ol  Saturday  afternoon  an  incessant  storm  of 
fire  fell  upon  the  doomed  fort.  The  wooden  barracks 
inside  were  fired  by  the  hot-shot  batteries  of  the 
enemy.  An  eye-witness  gives  this  vivid  description 
of  the  scene  : — 

“ The  fire  surrounded  us  on  all  sides.  Fearful  that 
the  walls  might  crack  and  the  shells  pierce  and  pros- 
trate them,  we  commenced  taking  the  powder  out  of 
the  magazine  before  the  fire  had  fully  enveloped  it. 
We  took  ninety-six  barrels  of  powder  out  and  threw 
them  into  the  sea,  leaving  two  hundred  barrels  in  it. 
Owing  to  a lack  of  cartridges,  we  kept  five  men  inside 
the  magazine,  sewing,  as  we  wanted  them,  thus  using 
up  our  shirts,  sheets,  blankets,  and  all  the  available 
material  in  the  fort.  When  wre  were  finally  obliged 
to  close  the  magazine  and  our  material  for  cartridges 
was  exhausted,  we  were  left  destitute  of  any  means 
to  continue  the  contest.  We  had  eaten  our  last  bis- 
cuit thirty-six  hours  before.  We  came  very  near 
being  stifled  with  the  dense,  livid  smoke  from  the 
burning  buildings.  Many  of  the  men  lay  prostrate  on 
the  ground,  with  wret  handkerchiefs  over  their  mouths 
and  eyes,  gasping  for  breath.  It  was  a moment  of 
imminent  peril.  If  an  eddy  of  wind  had  not  ensued, 
we  all,  probably,  should  have  been  suffocated. 

“ The  crashing  of  the  shot,  the  bursting  of  the 
shells,  the  falling  of  walls,  and  the  roar  of  flames 
made  a pandemonium  of  the  fort.  We  nevertheless 
kept  up  a steady  fire.” 

The  shells  and  ammunition  of  the  upper  service 
magazine  exploded,  destroying  the  tower  and  sending 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


27 


the  upper  part  of  the  building  flying  in  all  directions. 
Three  times  the  fort  had  been  on  fire,  the  men  being 
unable  to  extinguish  it  the  last  time.  Owing  to  the 
proximity  of  the  flames,  the  powder  barrels,  though 
covered  with  wet  blankets,  were  in  danger,  and  all 
but  four  were  thrown  into  the  sea. 

The  flag-staff  had  been  hit  nine  times,  and  at  last 
it  was  cut  down  and  placed  upon  the  ramparts  with 
the  torn  flag  nailed  to  it. 

As  twilight  approached,  General  Wigfall,  formerly 
a Texas  senator,  came  to  the  fort  in  a skiff,  bearing 
a white  flag  fastened  to  his  sword.  Kettell  reports 
the  conversation  which  occured. 

He  said  he  came  from  General  Beauregard,  the  flag 
of  Sumter  being  down. 

“ It  is  up  again,”  replied  Lieutenant  Davis. 

General  Wigfall  then  said, 

“ You  are  on  fire,  let  us  stop  this:  there  is  a white 
flag,  will  any  one  wave  it  from  the  embrasure?  ” 

One  of  the  officers  replied, 

“ That  is  for  you  to  do  if  you  wish  your  batteries  to 
stop.” 

General  Wigfall  then  held  out  the  flag  when  Cor- 
poral Bringhurst  was  directed  to  hold  it  for  him. 
The  Corporal  did  so,  but  the  shot  continued  to  strike 
around  him.  Lieutenant  Davis  then  said, 

“ If  you  request  that  a white  flag  be  shown  here 
while  you  hold  a conference  with  Major  Anderson,  it 
may  be  done.” 

General  Wigfall  then  addressing  Major  Anderson, 
said : 

“ I am  from  General  Beauregard.  You  have  de- 


28 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


fended  your  flag  nobly,  sir:  on  what  terms  will  you 
evacuate  the  fort  ? ” 

Major  Anderson  replied,  “ General  Beauregard  is 
already  acquainted  with  my  only  terms.” 

“ Do  I understand  that  you  will  evacuate  upon  the 
terms  proposed  the  other  day?  ” 

“ Yes,  sir,  and  on  those  conditions  only,”  was  the 
reply. 

“ Then,  sir,”  said  Wigfall,  “ I understand  Major 
Anderson  that  the  fort  is  to  be  ours.” 

“ On  those  conditions  only,  I repeat.” 

“ Very  well,”  said  Wigfall,  and  he  retired. 

The  conditions  were  that  the  men  should  take  all 
their  company  and  individual  property,  their  side  and 
other  arms,  that  their  torn  flag  should  be  saluted  and 
taken  with  them,  and  that  they  should  march  out  in 
their  own  way  and  at  their  own  time. 

The  terms  were  agreed  to,  and  on  Sunday  morning 
at  about  nine  o’clock  the  men  were  formed  in  line, 
and  marched  out  while  the  cannon  boomed  over  the 
bay  in  salutes  to  the  stars  and  stripes,  and  the  band 
played  “Yankee  Doodle”  and  “ Hail  to  the  Chief.” 
A cheer  went  up  from  the  patriotic  band  as  the  old 
flag  was  lowered,  after  which  they  boarded  the  trans- 
port Isabel  which  took  them  to  the  United  States  ship 
Baltic,  in  the  offing,  whence  they  were  carried  to  New 
York. 

Thus  gloriously  fell  Fort  Sumter.  Can  history 
furnish  us  nobler  examples  of  men,  who  in  the  face 
of  starvation  worked  more  manfully  at  their  guns  in 
defence  of  their  country’s  flag,  nor  yielded  while  there 
was  a cartridge  left  to  fire,  or  material  left  to  make 
one  ? 


BA  TTLES  FOR  THE  UNI  ON. 


29 


During  this  terrific  bombardment  no  life  was  lost 
on  either  side, — a fact  to  be  wondered  at. 

From  statistics  gathered  from  the  Charleston  Mer- 
cury of  May  third,  the  Rebels  during  this  cannonading, 
threw  into  and  upon  the  fort,  two  thousand  three  hun- 
dred and  sixty-one  solid  shot,  and  nine  hundred  and 
eighty  shells  from  fourteen  batteries.  At  the  fiftieth 
discharge  of  guns  in  giving  the  salute  of  one  hundred 
guns  to  the  National  flag,  a Union  soldier  was  killed 
by  its  accidental  explosion,  and  several  others  were 
wounded. 

Major  Anderson  and  his  men  were  received  at  the 
North  with  the  honor  due  to  heroes.  They  had  cov- 
ered their  names  with  a glory  which  could  not  fade 
away,  and  while  country  is  loved  and  bravery  chroni- 
cled, these  names,  clothed  in  light  like  the  stars  of 
heaven,  can  never  pass  from  patriotic  remembrance. 


CHAPTER  II. 


IE3  I <3-  IE3  E T X3I  E Hi. 

General  Butler  at  Fortress  Monroe. — Decides  to  Attack  the  Rebels  at 
Big  Bethel. — Plan  of  Major  Winthrop. — Crossing  the  Hampton 
River  at  Midnight. — Colonel  Duryea  joined  by  General  Pierce. — 
Fatal  Mistake  of  Colonel  Bendix. — The  Confederates  Retreat  from 
Little  Bethel. — Battle  of  Big  Bethel,  and  fall  of  Major  Winthrop. — 
Gallantry  and  Death  of  Lieutenant  Grebble. — Official  Report  of  the 
Battle. 

EARLY  in  the  month  of  June,  1861,  General  Ben 
jamin  P.  Butler,  commanding  a Federal  force  at 
Fortress  Monroe,  received  intelligence  that  the  Rebels 
were  fortifying  themselves  at  an  unimportant  village 
known  as  Little  Bethel,  twelve  miles  from  the  for. 
tress,  and  that  five  miles  beyond  this  point,  at  Big 
Bethel,  they  were  intrenching  themselves  in  a still 
stronger  position.  Thus  established,  with  the  latter* 
point  as  a base,  they  were  continually  issuing  from 
their  stronghold  in  marauding  parties,  making  pris-. 
oners  the  friends  of  the  Union,  and  impressing  their 
slaves  into  the  Southern  service.  General  Butler  de- 
cided to  break  up  these  Rebel  encampments,  and  at 
once  prepared  a secret  expedition  for  the  consumma- 
tion of  his  purpose. 

The  first  step  in  this  movement  was  to  ferry  his 
troops  across  the  Hampton  River  at  Hampton,  as  the 
enemy  had  previously  burned  the  bridge.  Ten  .fiat 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


31 


boats  were  found,  capable  of  conveying  one  hundred 
and  fifty-seven  men  each,  including  oarsmen.  Men 
from  the  Naval  Brigade  were  thoroughly  instructed  in 
the  management  of  these  boats,  and  at  twelve  o’clock 
on  the  night  of  the  ninth  of  June,  with  carefully  muffled 
oars,  Colonel  Duryea,  commanding  the  troops  from 
Fortress  Monroe  crossed  the  river  and  marched  to 
Newport  News — a small  town  at  the  mouth  of  the 
James  River,  where  lie  was  joined  by  Brigadier-Gen- 
eral Pierce  with  two  regiments  of  his  command  which 
had  been  encamped  at  this  point.  The  united  forces 
now  moved  silently  on  towards  Little  Bethel. 

The  expedition  was  well  planned  in  every  particu- 
lar, and  is  said  to  have  been  chiefly  the  work  of  Major 
Theodore  Wintlirop,  approved  by  General  Butler,  and 
but  for  an  untoward  accident  not  unusual  with  a citizen 
soldiery,  undisciplined  and  inexperienced  on  the  field 
of  battle,  would  have  proved  eminently  successful  to 
the  Federal  arms.  The  march  of  our  columns  was 
to  be  so  timed  that  the  commanders  could  form  a 
junction  and  make  a concentrated  attack  upon  Little 
Bethel  just  at  the  dawn  of  day.  We  were  then  to 
pursue  vigorously  the  routed  and  flying  Rebels  to 
Big  Bethel,  and  without  giving  them  time  to  recover 
from  their  surprise,  charge  their  batteries  at  that 
point. 

In  order  to  be  secure  against  any  accident  which 
might  naturally  be  anticipated  in  the  darkness,  no 
regiment  was  to  commence  an  attack  without  first 
giving  the  watchword,  and  in  order  that  they  might 
recognize  each  other  easily  in  the  darkness  a white 
badge  was  worn  on  the  left  arm.  For  a time  everything 


32 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


went  well  and  all  were  confident  of  success,  but  as 
ofttimes  before 

“ The  best  laid  plans  of  men  and  mice 
Gang  aft  aglee.” 

At  a point  described  as  the  Cross  Roads  by  those 
who  participated  in  the  expedition,  Colonel  Bendix 
with  his  regiment  and  a section  of  light  artillery,  had 
taken  position  with  instructions  to  guard  and  hold  the 
crossing  at  all  hazards.  The  Unionists  continued  to 
move  silently  on  towards  Little  Bethel.  The  light  of 
day  now  began  to  dawn  upon  the  advancing  columns. 
The  Third  New  York  Infantry  just  then  came  cau- 
tiously moving  along  in  the  dim  twilight  and  fog  of 
the  morning,  on  the  road  from  Hampton.  General 
Pierce  and  Colonel  Townsend  with  their  respective 
staffs  rode  together,  in  advance  of  the  main  column- 
These  mounted  officers,  in  the  uncertain  and  flicker- 
ing light  of  the  morning,  presented  the  aspect  of  a 
large  body  of  cavalry. 

It  was  well  known  that  there  was  no  cavalry  with 
the  Union  force,  hence  it  was  not  strange  that  Colonel 
Bendix  should  imagine  that  Rebel  cavalry  was  about 
to  assail  his  rear,  and  immediately  opened  fire  upon 
them  with  his  artillery,  at  the  distance  of  five  hundred 
yards.  It  was  well  for  our  men  that  the  road  was 
lower  than  the  level  of  the  land  on  either  side,  and 
was  bordered  by  stone  fences.  Three  men  were  nev- 
ertheless killed  and  eight  wounded  by  the  discharge. 
General  Pierce  thus  unexpectedly  assailed,  fell  back 
and  dispatched  couriers  to  Fortress  Monroe  for  rein- 
forcements. 

Colonel  Duryea,  who  had  stationed  Colonel  Bendix 


BAl'ILES  t on  THE  UNION. 


at  the  intersection  of  the  roads  and  who  was  himself 
advancing  on  the  road  to  Little  Bethel,  alarmed  by 
the  cannonading  in  his  rear,  also  retraced  his  steps. 
Daylight  soon  revealed  the  sad  mistake  of  Bendix. 
But  the  Rebels  encamped  at  Little  Bethel  heard  the 
tiring,  took  the  alarm,  and  without  having  seen  the 
Federals,  fled,  panic  stricken,  to  their  reserves  at  Big 
Bethel.  General  Pierce  now  pressed  vigorously  for- 
ward and  quickly  destroyed  the  camp  at  Little  Bethel 
which  had  been  deserted  less  than  half  an  hour  before 
he  reached  it.  The  Union  columns  then  pushed 
briskly  on,  five  miles  farther  to  Big  Bethel,  where  the 
enemy  was  found  to  be  in  position  to  receive  them, 
posted  in  full  force  behind  their  batteries.  It  was  per 
haps  not  wise  under  the  circumstances  to  order  an 
assault.  The  Unionists  were  depressed  by  the  unfor- 
tunate accident  which  prevented  their  surprising  the 
Rebels.  It  was  ten  o’clock  in  the  morning;  the  troops 
had  not  slept  for  thirty  hours,  had  marched  nearly 
twelve  miles,  and  half  the  distance  in  a scorching  sun. 
Still,  it  was  thought  best  to  make  an  attack,  as  it 
would  have  been  humiliating  indeed  to  have  returned 
to  the  fortress  without  firing  a gun  at  the  foe.  For 
upwards  of  two  hours  our  troops  fought  with  a deter- 
mination which  would  have  been  creditable  to  veter- 
ans. Facing  a storm  of  shot  and  shell  from  rifled 
cannon  and  masked  batteries,  they  drove  the  Rebels 
from  their  first  line  of  intrenclunents,  when  other  and 
more  formidable  batteries  opened  upon  them  and 
forced  them  to  retire  from  the  unequal  contest.  The 
retreat  was  conducted  in  good  order,  Duryea’s  Zou- 
aves covering  the  rear  of  the  retiring  columns  in  the 

2* 


34 


BATTLES  poll  THE  UNION. 


most  gallant  manner,  keeping  the  enemy  in  check  and 
picking  off  from  the  pursuing  lines  of  the  exultant 
Confederates  the  more  reckless  and  daring  who  ven- 
tured in  advance  of  their  comrades. 

The  Federal  officers  deported  themselves  with  great 
coolness  and  intrepidity.  It  is  generally  conceded 
that  the  enemy  brought  into  this  action  between  two 
and  three  thousand  infantry,  with  from  fifteen  to 
twenty  pieces  of  artillery.  The  Federal  loss  was 
about  forty  killed  and  wounded.  The  loss  of  the 
enemy  is  not  definitely  known,  but  is  supposed  to 
have  been  somewhat  less  than  ours,  from  the  fact  that 
they  were  protected  by  earth  works,  while  we  assaulted 
their  works  from  an  open  field.  Our  forces  retired  in 
perfect  order  to  Hampton,  where  they  were  met  by 
General  Butler,  and  subsequently  transported  in  flat 
boats  to  Fortress  Monroe.  The  failure  of  the  expedi- 
tion was  a great  disappointment  to  the  administration 
and  country,  and  its  conduct  was  for  this  reason  criti- 
cised with  much  greater  severity  than  it  merited. 
The  Rebels  were  so  frightened  by  our  attack  that  they 
abandoned  their  works  and  hastened  the  following 
day  to  Yorktown.  The  gallant  Major  Winthrop  who 
is  credited  with  the  original  plan  of  the  expedition, 
fell  in  this  engagement,  while  leading  his  men  in  a 
charge  upon  a redoubt.  Noticing  some  hesitancy  in 
the  advancing  lines,  he  dashed  to  the  front,  shout- 
ing, “ Come  on  boys ! one  charge  and  the  day  is 
ours  !”  This  was  his  last  command,  and  noble  words 
were  never  more  fitly  spoken.  A drummer  boy  con- 
nected with  a North  Carolina  regiment  seeing  so  fair 
a mark,  borrowed  a comrade’s  musket,  took  deliberate 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


35 


aim  and  discharged  its  contents  into  the  breast  of  the 
daring  Major,  who  fell  mortally  wounded,  nearer  to 
the  enemy’s  works  than  any  other  man. 

Lieutenant  Grebble  also  distinguished  himself  in 
this  action,  and  scaled  his  devotion  to  the  cause  of  the 
Union  with  his  life.  Unlimbering  his  gun  he  moved 
towards  the  enemy,  slowly  firing  as  lie  advanced  un- 
til lie  arrived  within  two  hundred  yards  of  a masked 
battery.  He  had  but  eleven  men  to  work  his  gun, 
and  yet  with  this  handful  of  braves,  he  faced  the  deadly 
fire  from  the  rifled  cannon  of  the  foe  which  had  scat- 
tered our  infantry  and  left  him  without  support.  This 
single  piece  of  artillery  was  so  efficiently  worked  that 
he  silenced  all  in  the  Rebel  battery  except  one.  The 
enemy,  crippled  and  suffering  from  the  persistent  and 
unceasing  blows  of  the  young  artillerist,  made  a sortie, 
thinking  doubtless  that  they  could  entrap  or  drive  him 
from  his  position.  “ Now  Charlie,”  said  the  gallant 
lieutenant,  to  Captain  Bartlett,  “ I have  something  to 
fire  at.  Just  see  how  I can  make  them  skedaddle.” 
He  gave  them  three  or  four  charges  of  grape  and  they 
fled  back  to  their  intrenchments  in  confusion.  After 
repulsing  the  sortie  he  was  left  with  but  five  men. 
Addressing  Corporal  Peoples,  he  said,  “ All  I can 
now  do  will  be  of  no  avail.  Limber  up  the  gun  and 
take  it  away.”  At  this  moment  a ball  from  the  ene- 
my’s intrenchments  struck  him  in  the  head  and  his 
body  fell  lifeless  to  the  ground. 

General  Butler  in  his  official  report,  commenting 
on  this  adventure  says,  “ 1 think  in  the  unfortunate 
combination  of  circumstances  and  the  result  which 
we  have  experienced,  we  have  gained  more  than  we 


36 


BATTLES  FUR  TIIE  UNION. 


have  lost.  Our  troops  have  learned  to  have  confi- 
dence in  themselves  under  fire,  the  enemy  have  shown 
that  they  will  not  meet  us  in  the  open  field,  and  our 
officers  have  learned  wherein  their  organization  and 
drill  are  inefficient.” 


CHAPTER  III. 


BULL  IFUTTLT. 

Date  of  the  Battle. — Military  Talent  Displayed  on  Both  Sides. — Gen- 
eral Beauregard  in  Command  of  the  Confederate  Forces.— Expecta- 
tions of  the  North  and  South  Concerning  the  Result  of  the  Battle. — 
The  Division  Generals  Engaged. — Slow  Progress  of  McDowell’s 
Army. — Heavy  Skirmish  at  Blackburn’s  Ford. — Sluggishness  of 
Army  Movements. — Patterson’s  Failure  to  Engage  Johnston. — Hos- 
tilities Commenced. — Attack  of  Confederate  Batteries  on  Burnside’s 
Brigade. — Struggle  for  the  Hill  beyond  Warrenton  Turnpike. — 
Colonel  Hunter  Severely  Wounded. — Success  of  the  Union  Anns 
up  to  Three  o’clock  P.  M. — Confederate  Reenforcements  Turn  the 
Scale. — Panic  of  our  Forces.  They  Break  and  Fly  in  Confusion.— 
The  Union  Army  a Mass  of  Fugitives. — Disastrous  end  of  the  Bat- 
tle.— Patterson  Blamed. 


THE  Field  of  Bull  Run  and  the  Plains  of  Manassas 
will  never  lose  their  interest  for  the  imaginative 
young  or  the  patriotic  old  ; for  on  this  field  and  over 
these  plains  are  scattered  the  bones  of  more  than 
forty  thousand  brave  men  of  both  North  and  South, 
who  have  met  in  mortal  combat  and  laid  down  their 
lives  in  defence  of  their  principles. 

On  the  twenty -first  of  July,  1861,  was  fought  the 
battle  of  Bull  Run,,  the  first  of  a long  series  of  en- 
gagements on  these  historic  plains.  The  battles  of 
Bristoe,  Groveton,  Manassas,  Centreville,  and  Chan- 
tilly succeeded  in  1862,  and  in  the  summer  and 
autumn  of  1863  followed  the  cavalry  actions  at  Aldie, 
Middleburg,  Upperville,  and  New  Baltimore. 


38 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNIOX. 


No  battle  ground  on  the  continent  of  America  can 
present  to  the  generations  yet  to  come,  such  a gigan- 
tic Roll  of  Honor.  Here  also  was  displayed  the  best 
military  talent,  the  keenest  strategy,  and  the  highest 
engineering  skill  of  our  civil  war.  Here  were  assem- 
bled the  great  representative  leaders  of  slavery  and 
freedom.  Here,  Scott,  McDowell,  Pope,  and  Meade, 
on  the  Federal  side,  and  Beauregard,  Johnston,  and 
Lee  on  the  Confederate  side,  have  in  turn  held  the 
reins  of  battle  and  shared  both  victory  and  defeat. 

The  action  which  resulted  in  the  fall  of  Fort 
Sumter  developed  extraordinary  talent  in  the  Rebel 
General  P.  G.  T.  Beauregard,  and  brought  him  con 
spicuously  before  the  Confederate  Government.  Called 
for  by  the  unanimous  voice  of  the  Southern  people, 
he  was  now  ordered  to  take  command  of  the  main 
portion  of  the  Confederate  army  in  Northern  Vir 
ginia.  He  selected  Manassas  Junction  as  his  base  ot 
operations,  and  established  his  outposts  near  Fairfax 
Court  House,  seventeen  miles  from  Washington. 

General  Beauregard’s  forces  on  the  line  of  Bull 
Run,  numbered  on  the  sixteenth  of  July  nearly  forty 
thousand  men  and  sixty-four  pieces  of  artillery,  to-, 
getlier  with  a considerable  body  of  cavalry.  The 
threatening  attitude  of  this  force,  almost  within  sight 
of  the  National  Capital,  led  General  Scott  to  concen- 
trate the  Union  forces  in  that  quarter  with  a view  to 
meeting  the  Rebels  in  battle,  and  if  possible,  giving 
a death  blow  to  the  Rebellion. 

Ludicrous  indeed,  in  the  light  of  subsequent  events, 
was  the  general  conviction  of  the  hostile  sections  that 
a single  decisive  engagement  would  terminate  the  war. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UXIOX. 


39 


Little  did  the  Unionists  then  know  of  the  ambitious 
designs  of  the  pro  slavery  leaders,  and  still  less  did  the 
uneducated,  misguided  masses  of  the  South  know  of 
the  patriotism,  resources,  and  invincible  determina- 
tion of  the  North.  On  both  sides  there  was  great 
popular  anxiety  for  a general  battle  to  determine  the 
question  of  relative  manhood:  and  especially  on  the 
side  of  the  South,  from  an  impression  that  one  dis- 
tinct and  large  combat,  resulting  in  its  favor  and 
showing  conspicuously  its  superior  valor,  would  alarm 
the  North  sufficiently  to  lead  it  to  abandon  the  war. 
The  New  York  Tribune,  which  was  supposed  at  that 
time  to  be  a faithful  representative  of  the  sentiment 
and  temper  of  the  North,  said,  on  the  nineteenth  of 
July,  1861,  “ We  have  been  most  anxious  that  this 
struggle  should  be  submitted,  at  the  earliest  mo- 
ment, to  the  ordeal  of  a fair  decisive  battle.  Give 
the  Unionists  a fair  field,  equal  weapons  and  equal 
numbers,  and  we  ask  no  more.  Should  the  Rebel 
forces  at  all  justify  the  vaunts  of  their  journalistic 
trumpeters,  we  shall  candidly  admit  the  fact.  If 
they  can  beat  double  the  number  of  Unionists,  they 
can  end  the  struggle  on  their  own  terms.” 

A field  for  the  grand  combat  was  soon  found,  but 
its  results  were  destined  to  disappoint  both  the  victors 
and  the  vanquished.  The  South  had  looked  forward 
to  this  field  for  an  acknowledgment  of  its  independ- 
ence, the  North  for  a downfall  of  the  Rebellion. 

At  noon,  on  the  seventeenth  of  July,  the  Federal 
troops,  under  the  immediate  command  of  General 
Irvin  McDowell,  struck  tents  and  took  up  their  line 
of  march  towards  Fairfax,  without  baggage,  and 


40 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


carrying  three  days  rations  in  their  haversacks.  Qne 
division,  under  General  Tyler,  which  had  been  en- 
camped at  Falls  Church,  marched  to  Vienna,  while 
the  main  column,  led  by  McDowell  in  person,  moved 
direct  from  Alexandria  to  Fairfax  Court  House. 

The  head  of  General  Tyler’s  division  reached 
Vienna  at  sunset.  The  infantry  turned  into  the  fields, 
while  the  artillery  took  position  on  the  hills.  Near 
the  railroad  was  a large  woodpile,  behind  which  the 
artillery  took  shelter  when  they  fired  upon  an  Ohio 
regiment  passing  in  the  cars.  The  wood  was  found 
convenient  for  bivouac  fires,  and  the  boys  helped 
themselves  to  it  without  ceremony. 

The  force  commanded  by  McDowell  numbered  about 
thirty-five  thousand  men,  all  of  whom,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  less  than  one  regiment  of  the  old  regular 
army,  were  raw  troops,  who  not  only  had  never  smelt 
■ powder,  but  were  scarcely  instructed  in  the  simplest 
rudiments  of  the  manual.  Their  knowledge  of  tacti- 
v cal  evolutions  amounted  to  nothing.  The  best  por- 

tion of  the  troops  were  militia  regiments,  whose  term 
of  service  would  expire  within  four  or  five  days,  but 
who  were  nevertheless  launched  into  the  campaign 
with  the  vague  idea  that  they  had  long  enough  to 
serve  to  accomplish  the  purpose  of  the  expedition. 
This  undisciplined  and  unstable  mass  was  divided  into 
five  divisions,  each  consisting  of  two  or  more  brigades, 
and  was  commanded  as  follows:  First  Division — 
Brigadier  General  D.  Tyler,  Connecticut  Militia; 
Second  Division — Colonel  David  Hunter,  Third  U.  S. 
Cavalry  ; Third  Division — Colonel  S.  P.  Heintzelman, 
Seventeenth  U.  S.  Infantry  ; Fourth  Division — Briga 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  EX  I OX. 


41 


dier  General  T.  Runyon,  New  Jersey  Militia ; Fifth 
Division — Colonel  Dixon  S.  Niles,  Second  U.  S.  In- 
fantry. 

Accompanying  the  army  were  fifty-five  pieces  of 
artillery,  and  an  unnecessarily  large  train.  Owing  to 
the  inexperience  of  the  troops  in  marching,  and  the 
obstructions  placed  in  the  way  of  the  retiring  enemy, 
the  progress  of  McDowell’s  army  was  exceedingly 
slow,  and  it  was  not  until  eleven  o’clock  of  the 
eighteenth  that  General  Tyler’s  division,  forming  the 
advance,  entered  Centreville,  a small  village  seven 
miles  northeast  of  Manassas  Junction,  and  separated 
from  it  by  Bull  Run,  which  is  a fordable  stream  flow- 
ing in  a southeasterly  direction  into  the  Potomac. 

From  Centreville.  two  roads  diverge  towards  Bull 
Run,  of  which  the  more  easterly  and  direct  strikes 
the  stream  at  Blackburn’s  Ford,  not  far  from  the 
Junction:  while  the  other,  known  as  the  Warrenton 
Turnpike,  takes  a westerly  course  and  crosses  Bull 
Run  at  the  Stone  Bridge,  four  miles  higher  up.  The 
village  itself  lies  on  the  west  side  of  an  elevated 
ridge,  and  is  capable  of  being  strongly  fortified. 

Without  waiting  for  the  main  body  to  come  up, 
General  Tyler  immediately  pushed  forward  a recon- 
noisance  to  Blackburn’s  Ford,  where,  rather  unex- 
pectedly, the  enemy  was  discovered  to  be  in  large  force. 
A heavy  skirmish  ensued,  with  considerable  artillery 
firing;  but  the  confederate  position  sheltered  by  dense 
woods,  being  considered  too  strong  to  be  carried  with- 
out developing  a general  engagement,  the  Federal 
troops  were  ordered  back  to  Centreville,  having  ex- 
perienced a loss  of  nearly  one  hundred  men.  That 


42 


BATTLES  FOR  TILE  UNION. 


of  the  enemy  was  somewhat  less.  During  the 
eighteenth  and  nineteenth,  McDowell  concentrated  Ids 
army,  with  the  exception  of  Runyon’s  Division,  in 
and  around  Centreville,  with  a view  of  attacking  the 
Rebels  along  Bull  Run,  and  between  this  stream  and 
Manassas  Junction  on  Saturday,  the  twentieth.  Here 
again,  the  dilatoriness  which  seemed  to  be  insepara- 
ble from  the  movements  of  this  army,  manifested 
itself.  The  subsistence  which  should  have  been  ready 
on  the  evening  of  the  eighteenth,  did  not  arrive  until 
twenty-four  hours  later,  so  that  the  forward  move- 
ment was  postponed  to  Sunday,  the  twenty-first.  The 
intervening  time  was  occupied  in  reconnoitering  Bull 
Run  above  and  below  Stone  Bridge.  By  the  evening 
of  the  twentieth  McDowell  had  arranged  his  plan  ot 
battle,  which,  in  general  terms,  contemplated  a flank 
movement  in  force  against  the  enemy’s  left  wing,  with 
feints  on  his  right  and  center.  As  it  was  found  im. 
practicable  to  cross  the  stream  at  Blackburn’s  Ford 
or  the  Stone  Bridge,  on  account  of  the  steepness  of 
the  opposite  bank  and  the  obstructions  accumulated 
by  the  enemy,  he  decided  that  the  divisions  of  Hun- 
ter and  Ileintzelman  should  make  the  passage  at 
Sudley  Spring,  two  miles  above  the  Stone  Bridge, 
while  Tyler  demonstrated  at  the  latter  place  in  readi- 
ness to  cross  and  support  the  main  attacking  column 
when  occasion  should  offer.  The  division  of  General 
Miles  was  to  be  stationed  as  a reserve  at  Centreville. 
The  Confederate  forces  were  distributed  on  the  twen- 
tieth along  the  right  bank  of  Bull  Run  from  Union 
Hill,  two  miles  below  Blackburn’s  Ford,  to  the  Stone 
Bridge,  and  on  that  day  comprised  probably  not  far 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


43 


from  twenty-five  thousand  men,  under  the  command 
of  General  Beauregard.  By  the  culpable,  if  not 
criminal  negligence  of  General  Patterson,  Johnston’s 
forces  had  been  permitted  to  slip  away  from  Win- 
chester in  the  valley,  and  a considerable  portion  of 
them  had  already  arrived  with  their-  commander. 
Although  Johnston  was  the  senior  of  Beauregard,  he 
waived  his  privilege  of  assuming  the  chief  direction 
of  the  Rebel  army,  upon  seeing  the  dispositions  made 
by  his  associate. 

Our  army  being  now  prepared  for  an  advance,  re- 
ceived orders  to  move  at  two  o’clock  in  the  morning 
of  the  twenty-first.  But  neither  officers  nor  men 
seemed  to  comprehend  the  fact  that  an  encounter  with 
the  enemy  would  terminate  their  march,  and  so  much 
time  was  consumed  in  getting  ready  to  move  and  in 
the  march  itself,  that  the  head  of  the  column  did  not 
reach  Sudley  Springs  until  ten  o’clock,  a distance  of 
eight  miles  from  the  starting  point,  whereas,  accord- 
ing to  McDowell’s  calculation,  it  should  have  been 
there  three  hours  sooner.  On  arriving  at  Bull  Run 
the  men,  being  over-heated  and  thirsty,  halted  to  fill 
their  canteens,  which  was  the  occasion  of  more  delay; 
so  that  when  the  advance  brigade  of  Hunter’s  divi- 
sion, led  by  Colonel  Burnside,  debouched  from  the 
woods  near  Stone  Bridge,  it  was  past  twelve  o’clock. 
The  tardiness  of  our  troops  in  executing  a flank 
movement,  enabled  Beauregard  to  withdraw  his  forces 
from  Blackburn’s  Ford  and  concentrate  them  at  the 
Stone  Bridge.  Beauregard  was  right  in  conjecturing 
that  our  troops  in  front  of  both  places  were  not  in- 
tending to  make  a serious  attack,  and  the  heavy  clouds 


44 


BATTLES  FUR  THE  UNION. 


of  dust  arising  in  the  direction  of  Sudley  Springs 
seemed  to  indicate  to  him  that  beyond  doubt  the  main 
body  of  our  army  was  moving  in  that  direction.  He 
even  projected  a flank  movement  against  Centreville, 
but  through  the  miscarriage  of  an  order  failed  to  exe- 
cute it. 

The  arrival  of  installments  of  Johnston’s  troops 
during  the  morning,  increased  Beauregard’s  force  to 
nearly  forty  thousand  men,  now  concentrated  at 
Manassas  Junction. 

The  action  commenced  at  eleven  o’clock  a.  m.,  by 
an  attack  of  the  Confederate  batteries,  well  protected 
by  woods,  upon  General  Burnside’s  brigade,  which  for 
some  moments  was  subjected  to  a severe  fire.  Colo- 
nel Porter  attracted  by  the  cannonading  came  up  to 
the  support  of  Burnside,  with  Griffin’s  battery  and  a 
battalion  of  regulars. 

Burnside  thus  reinforced,  pushed  back  the  enemy 
beyond  the  Warrenton  Turnpike,  thereby  enabling  the 
brigades  of  Sherman  and  Keys  of  Tyler’s  division,  to 
cross  Bull  Run  a short  distance  above  the  Stone 
Bridge  and  take  part  in  the  engagement.  This  divis- 
ion, in  accordance  with  the  plan  of  the  battle,  had 
been  manceuvering  during  the  morning  against  the 
Stone  Bridge,  and  one  of  its  brigades  commanded  by 
Colonel  Schenck  still  remained  in  position  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  stream.  The  remaining  brigade  under 
Colonel  Richardson  conducted  the  feint  at  Blackburn’s 
Ford. 

Colonel  Heintzelman  who  crossed  at  Sudley  Springs 
in  the  rear  of  Hunter,  now  came  up  with  his  division, 
and  uniting  it  with  our  main  force  on  the  right  bank 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


45 


of  Bull  Run,  pressed  the  Confederates  up  the  slopes 
of  a liill  beyond  the  Warrenton  Turnpike  where  we 
were  met  by  some  well  posted  batteries  which  played 
with  effect  upon  our  advancing  columns.  The  strug- 
gle for  the  possession  of  this  hill  was  one  of  great 
determination,  and  our  undisciplined  troops,  though 
fighting  on  unknown  ground  and  against  an  enemy 
protected  by  woods  and  earthworks,  showed  decided 
pluck  and  considerable  steadiness.  Colonel  Hunter 
having  been  severely  wounded  while  leading  the  flank- 
ing column  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  Heintzelman. 

Inch  by  inch  and  step  by  step  the  Confederates  were 
pushed  back,  yielding  their  ground  reluctantly  and 
making  repeated  attempts  to  disable  or  capture  our 
artillery  under  Griffin  and  Pickett,  which  had  been 
advanced  to  within  a few  hundred  yards  of  their  line 
of  battle.  Three  determined  charges  were  made  upon 
the  former,  the  horses  of  which  had  been  killed  or  dis- 
abled. Their  third  assardt  was  repulsed  with  great 
spirit,  and  they  were  pushed  back  behind  their  rifle 
pits.  General  Keys  had  in  the  mean  time  made  a 
detour  of  the  hill  with  his  brigade,  for  the  purpose  of 
attacking  the  enemy  on  his  right  flank,  and  the  sap- 
pers and  miners  had  been  put  to  work  to  remove  the 
obstructions  in  front  of  the  Stone  Bridge,  so  as  to 
allow  the  remaining  brigade  of  Tyler’s  division  to  cross 
and  co-operate  with  the  main  force. 

Success  had  attended  the  Union  arms  up  to  three 
o’clock  in  the  afternoon.  The  Confederates  had  been 
driven  nearly  a mile  and  a half  from  their  original 
position,  and  their  final  disappearance  gave  our  troops 
a few  moments  of  much  needed  rest ; in  fact  our  army 


46 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


was  so  much  exhausted  by  a twelve  hours’  march  and 
several  hours  in  line  of  battle  that  it  was  in  poor  con- 
dition to  reap  the  fruits  of  victory.  In  his  official 
report  General  McDowell  says  : “ They  had  been  up 
since  two  o’clock  in  the  morning  and  had  made  what 
to  those  unused  to  such  things,  seemed  a long  march, 
before  coming  into  action,  though  the  longest  distance 
gone  over  was  not  more  than  nine  and  a half  miles  ; 
and  though  they  had  three  days’  provisions  served  out 
to  them  the  day  before,  many  no  doubt  either  did  not 
eat  them  or  threw  them  away  on  the  march  or  during 
the  battle,  and  were  therefore  without  food.  They  had 
done  much  severe  fighting.  Some  of  the  regiments 
which  had  been  driven  from  the  hill  in  the  first  two 
attempts  of  the  enemy  to  regain  possession  of  it,  had 
become  shaken,  were  unsteady  and  had  many  men 
out  of  the  ranks.”  On  the  other  hand  the  Confeder- 
ates had  marched  a comparatively  short  distance  and 
fought  under  the  advantage  of  knowing  that  every 
succeeding  hour  would  add  to  their  strength  and 
would,  as  a natural  consequence,  comparatively  weaken 
their  enemy.  Every  train  from  the  valley  brought 
regiments  or  brigades  from  Johnston’s  command 
while  no  re-inforcements  had  been  sent  to  the  unsup- 
ported troops  of  McDowell,  nor  was  it  probable  that 
any  could  be  sent.  Hence  the  situation  of  the  Con- 
federates even  after  they  had  been  compelled  to  seek 
shelter  in  the  woods,  was  really  less  critical  than  ours, 
for  their  supports  were  already  upon  the  field.  In 
fact  the  Rebel  line  of  battle  had  barely  retired  from 
the  open  field  when  dense  clouds  of  dust  rising  from 
the  direction  of  the  railroad,  was  an  evidence  of  the 


BATTLES  EOk  117E  UNION. 


47 


arrival  of  fresh  troops,  and  from  their  position  on  the 
hill  our  soldiers  could  perceive  long  and  -well  ordered 
columns  of  infantry  hastening  up  in  the  Confederate 
rear.  It  was  whispered  instantly  from  rank  to  rank 
that  General  Patterson  had  come  to  their  assistance ; 
and  then  the  Plains  of  Manassas  were  made  to  ring 
with  the  hearty  cheers  of  the  Boys  in  Blue.  The  sur- 
prise and  consternation  may  he  imagined  when  our 
men  heard  still  louder  cheers  breaking  out  along  the 
whole  Rebel  front  followed  by  a sharp  lire  from  the 
woods  on  their  right  which  rapidly  extended  to  their 
rear,  Patterson  had  neither  come  to  their  aid  nor 
moved  from  his  position,  and  the  troops  whose  appear- 
ance had  called  forth  such  an  outburst  of  enthusiasm 
were  Johnston’s  remaining  brigade  under  General 
Kirby  Smith  which  arrived  in  season  to  turn  the  scale 
in  favor  of  the  Confederates. 

The  effect  of  this  surprise  upon  our  army  was 
extremely  disheartening.  The  first  line  recoiled  before 
the  fire  of  the  enemy,  and  confused  by  vague  appre- 
hensions of  being  surrounded  by  overwhelming  num- 
bers, became  panic  stricken  and  fell  into  disorder. 
The  example  was  contagious.  Regiment  after  regi- 
ment broke  and  fled  in  confusion  down  the  hill,  the 
panic  momentarily  increasing,  until  the  greater  part 
of  the  but  recently  victorious  army,  had  become  a 
mass  of  fugitives  rushing  pell  mell  across  the  War- 
renton  Turnpike  to  the  fords  at  which  they  had  crossed 
in  the  morning,  completely  indifferent  to  the  com- 
mands of  their  officers. 

As  our  retreating  columns  approached  Bull  Run  the 
miscellaneous  crowd  of  teamsters  and  civilians  on  the 


48 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


other  side  who  had  not  crossed  the  stream  caught  the 
infection  and  suddenly  turned  their  faces  towards 
Washington,  notwithstanding  the  Confederates  were 
some  miles  distant  and  from  eight  to  twelve  thousand 
fresh  Union  troops  who  had  not  as  yet  been  engaged, 
were  in  readiness  to  withstand  their  attack.  But  the 
Rebels,  whether  too  much  exhausted,  or  intimidated  by 
the  firmness  of  our  reserves,  made  no  attempt  to  pur- 
sue their  advantage,  and  beyond  liarrassing  our  retreat 
with  a few  squadrons  of  cavalry,  contented  themselves 
with  occupying  the  field  of  battle. 

Our  losses,  according  to  the  official  report  of  General 
McDowell,  were  four  hundred  and  eighty-six  killed, 
one  thousand  and  twelve  wounded,  and  thirteen  hun- 
dred and  four  missing.  Considerable  artillery  was 
abandoned  during  the  retreat,  including  the  batteries 
of  Griffin  and  Rickets,  which  through  loss  of  horses  fell 
into  the  hands  of  the  enemy  at  the  beginning  of  the 
panic.  The  Confederate  loss  as  reported  by  General 
Beauregard  was  three  hundred  and  seventy-eight 
killed,  fourteen  hundred  and  eighty-nine  wounded  and 
thirty-five  missing.  On  the  Union  side,  Colonel  Came- 
ron of  the  Seventy-ninth  New  York  Volunteers  was 
killed,  Colonels  Hunter  and  Heintzelman  wounded, 
and  Colonels  Wilcox  and  Corcoran  were  taken  pris- 
oners. The  Confederate  Generals  Bee  and  Bartow 
were  killed  and  General  Kirby  Smith  wounded. 

Thus  ended  the  famous  battle  of  Bull  Run,  of  which 
more  absurd  stories  have  been  told  than  of  any  engage- 
ment of  modern  times,  and  the  result  of  which  filled 
the  Rebels  with  an  inflated  idea  of  their  superiority  and 
contempt  for  their  enemy,  for  which  they  were  shortly 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


49 


compelled  to  pay  dear.  Our  army,  fighting  under 
many  disadvantages  and  against  overpowering  num- 
bers, was  uniformly  successful  until  their  sudden 
panic ; and  the  vigor  with  which  they  pushed  the 
Confederates  may  be  seen  in  the  official  reports  of  the 
killed  and  wounded,  and  in  their  utter  failure  to  pur- 
sue our  retreating  columns.  The  chief  cause  of  our 
defeat  may  be  attributed  to  the  stupidity  of  General 
Patterson,  who  should  have  engaged  Johnston  on  the 
Potomac  and  thereby  prevented  his  forming  a junction 
with  Beauregard  at  Manassas.  Had  Patterson  at- 
tacked or  followed  Johnston  the  battle  might  have 
terminated  very  differently,  and  the  struggle  which 
was  protracted  through  four  bloody  years  have  been 
closed  in  a single  campaign. 


3 


CHAPTER  IT. 


WILSON’S  CREEK. 

Ganeral  Fremont  in  Command  of  the  Western  Department.— Rendez- 
vous at  St.  Louis.— Lyon  in  a Critical  Situation.— The  March  at 
Night.— Out  of  the  Streets  of  Springfield.— The  Midnight  Halt.— 
Camp  Fires  of  the  Enemy.— The  Rebels  at  Breakfast.— Sigel  adds 

an  Unexpected  Dish  to  their  Morning  Repast. — Panic  and  Flight. 

Battle  and  Victory,  followed  by  Confusion. — The  Mistaken  Troops. — 
“Our  Friends  are  Firing  Upon  us.” — Sigel’s  Disaster.— General 
Lyon  at  the  Front. — They  cannot  Break  His  Lines. — Heroism  and 
Bravery  Conquer  Numbers. — Lyon’s  Last  Charge. — Victory  and 
Death. — The  Nation’s  Beloved  Hero. — Rebel  Army  Routed  and  in 
Full  Retreat. — Withdrawal  to  Springfield. 

IMMEDIATELY  after  our  repulse  at  Bull  Run,  Gen- 
eral John  Charles  Fremont,  a brave  and  accom- 
plished officer  who  had  distinguished  himself  in  early 
life  in  an  expedition  to  California,  was  assignedto  the 
command  of  the  Western  Department,  comprising 
Illinois  and  the  states  and  territories  lying  between 
the  Mississippi  and  the  Rocky  Mountains.  General 
Fremont  assumed  command  on  the  twenty-sixth  of 
July,  1861,  and  established  his  head-quarters  at  St. 
Louis,  making  that  point  a place  of  rendezvous  for 
the  organization  of  recruits  then  arriving  as  reen- 
forcements to  his  army.  He  also  located  a camp  at 
Jefferson  City  for  the  reception  and  instruction  of 
volunteers,  and  placed  it  under  the  command  of  Gen- 
eral John  Pope. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


51 


General  Fremont  put  forth  every  exertion  in  his 
power  to  raise  and  equip  a force  for  the  rescue  of  the 
state  from  the  grasp  of  the  Confederates,  who  from 
the  first,  were  determined  to  possess  it.  Regiments 
of  undisciplined  troops  soon  began  to  pour  in,  but 
there  were  neither  arms  nor  equipments  sufficient  for 
them,  and  the  situation  was  indeed  critical.  Cairo 
and  St.  Louis  were  both  threatened  by  the  constantly 
increasing  rebel  force  near  Columbus ; while  in  south- 
western Missouri  the  bold  and  intrepid  Lyon,  who  had 
pressed  on  to  Springfield,  was  in  a critical  position 
owing  to  the  greatly  superior  force  of  McCulloch  and 
Rains,  who  were  advancing  to  meet  him, — his  own 
little  army  being  in  the  meantime  reduced  by  the  ex- 
piration of  the  term  of  sendee  of  the  Iowa  three 
months  regiments.  * 

Fremont’s  force  at  St.  Louis,  undisciplined  and  but 
poorly  armed,  was  hardly  sufficient  to  withstand  an 
attack  from  such  a force  as  the  Rebels  could  bring 
against  it ; and  Cairo,  a position  of  considerable  im- 
portance in  a military  point  of  view,  was  defended  by 
a handful  of  unorganized  troops.  If  any  reenforce- 
ments were  sent  to  General  Lyon  they  could  not  reach 
him  in  time  to  be  of  service,  while  their  "withdrawal 
would  seriously  endanger  St.  Louis  and  Cairo.  He 
was  poorly  supplied  with  cavalry,  he  was  one  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  from  any  railroad,  and  had  no  present 
hope  of  reenforcements.  Had  he  attempted  to  retreat 
with  such  an  army,  it  is  highly  probable  that  the  en- 
tire force  would  have  become  disorganized  and  de- 
stroyed. Nor  could  he  remain  on  the  defensive  at 
Springfield  with  an  almost  certain  prospect  of  capture 


52 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


confronting  him.  Under  this  discouraging  array  of 
circumstances,  General  Lyon  did  not  wait  to  be 
attacked,  but  determined  to  bring  on  the  battle  him- 
self. His  only  hope  lay  in  a bold  stroke.  He  made 
it  at  the  cost  of  his  life,  but  his  army  was  saved. 

From  the  village  of  Springfield,  Missouri,  two  roads 
lead  outward — one  to  Fayetteville,  Arkansas,  south- 
westward,  and  one  to  Mt.  Yernon,  due  westward. 
Both  these  roads  cross  Wilson’s  creek,  five  miles 
apart.  Calling  this  five  miles  of  Cross  Hoad  the  base 
of  a triangle,  running  along  the  stream,  Springfield 
would  be  the  apex,  and  the  ten  miles  of  highway  lead- 
ing from  that  village  to  the  points  of  intersection  with 
Wilson’s  Creek,  would  constitute  the  two  remaining 
sides  of  the  triangle.  Looking  towards  Springfield 
on  this  base  line  at  the  creek,  General  Lyon  was  on 
the  left,  Sigel  on  the  right,  and  the  rebel  army  be- 
tween. 

It  was  the  night  of  August  ninth.  Silently  the 
force  under  General  Lyon  marched  out  of  the  streets 
of  Springfield,  and  into  the  open  country  to  meet  the 
enemy,  outnumbering  them  three  to  one.  At  one 
o’clock  on  the  morning  of  the  tenth  they  came  in 
sight  of  the  rebel  camp  fires,  and  halting  cautiously, 
rested  on  their  arms  till  day-break.  General  Lyon 
hoped  by  surprising  the  enemy  in  front  and  rear,  to 
put  him  to  rout  and  gain  a victory  which  would  ex- 
tricate him  from  the  difficulties  of  his  situation.  To 
accomplish  this  purpose  he  had  divided  his  command 
in  two  columns — his  own  force  taking  the  Mt.  Yer- 
non road  to  attack  the  Rebels  in  front,  and  the  other 
column  under  the  intrepid  Sigel  moving  down  the 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


53 


Fayetteville  road  to  surprise  the  enemy  in  the  rear. 
Sigel  had  with  him  six  pieces  of  artillery,  two  compa- 
nies of  cavalry,  and  several  regiments  of  infantry. 
The  term  of  service  of  the  Fifth  Missouri  volunteers 
had  expired,  and  Colonel  Sigel,  by  his  personal  influ- 
ence had  induced  them  to  re-enlist  for  eight  days ; but 
this  re-enlistment  had  also  expired  on  the  day  before 
the  battle.  Many  of  the  officers  had  gone  home,  and 
a considerable  portion  of  Sigel’ s troops  were  raw 
recruits. 

At  daybreak  on  the  morning  of  the  tenth,  Sigel 
with  his  command  came  within  a mile  of  the  rebel 
camp  and  captured  about  forty  prisoners — Confeder- 
ates who  were  going  out  for  provisions  and  water. 
Quietly  the  Union  troops  marched  up  the  hills  border- 
ing Wilson’s  Creek  and  beheld  below  them  the  rebel 
encampment.  The  enemy  were  breakfasting.  A 
well-directed  shot  from  Sigel’s  artillery,  sent  directly 
into  the  encampment,  was  the  first  intimation  they 
received  of  his  presence.  Surprised  into  utter  disor- 
der, they  retreated  panic-stricken  down  the  valley. 
Our  infantry  pursued,  forming  in  the  camp  so  recently 
occupied  by  the  enemy.  But,  recovering  from  the 
first  panic  the  enemy  formed  in  line  of  battle,  oppo- 
sing Colonel  Sigel’s  little  band  with  a force  three 
thousand  strong.  Our  artillery  and  infantry  moved 
into  the  valley,  and  after  a short  engagement  the 
enemy  was  driven  from  the  field.  During  this  time 
the  sound  of  battle  from  the  other  end  of  the  val- 
ley road,  told  Sigel  that  Lyon  was  there,  and  in 
order  to  aid  him  Sigel  urged  his  troops  up  the  valley, 
obtaining  a position  where  any  attempted  retreat  of 


54 


BA1TLES  FOR  TIIE  UNION. 


the  enemy  might  be  cut  off.  He  had  taken  one  hun- 
dred prisoners,  and  everything  looked  promising, 
when  by  one  of  those  accidents  which  no  one  can 
foresee,  his  temporary  success  was  turned  into  disas- 
ter. The  firing  at  the  other  end  of  the  Cross  Road 
had  ceased,  which  led  Sigel  to  the  impression  that 
Lyon  was  victorious  and  his  troops  in  probable  pur- 
suit of  the  enemy.  Large  bodies  of  Confederates  ap- 
pearing to  the  eastward,  and  apparently  retreating 
south,  confirmed  this  idea,  but  owing  to  the  gloom  of 
the  morning  and  the  absence  of  all  uniform  it  was  im- 
possible to  distinguish  Unionists  from  Confederates. 
At  this  juncture  of  affairs,  Sigel  received  word  that 
Lyon  was  advancing  victoriously  up  the  road,  and  the 
command  not  to  fire  upon  the  advancing  troops,  was 
given.  Just  as  the  soldiers  of  Sigel’s  command 
waved  their  flags  in  welcome  to  their  supposed  com- 
rades in  arms,  a destructive  fire  burst  upon  them 
which  covered  the  ground  with  the  dead  and  the 
dying,  and  at  the  same  moment  a Rebel  battery  from 
the  hill  sent  its  scathing  shot  and  shell  down  upon 
the  bewildered  Union  ranks.  Utter  confusion  resulted. 
The  cry  ran  from  mouth  to  mouth,  “ Our  friends  are 
firing  upon  us,” — nor  could  they  be  persuaded  other- 
wise until  the  dead  fell  around  them  like  leaves  in 
autumn  time.  The  horses  were  shot  down  at  their 
guns,  and  death  was  reaping  a terrible  harvest.  It 
would  not  have  been  strange  if  a panic  had  ensued 
under  these  circumstances  among  the  best  drilled 
troops,  but  most  of  these  men  were  just  from  peaceful 
homes  and  had  never  before  been  under  fire. 

The  disorderly  retreat  which  now  commenced  can- 
not, therefore,  be  wondered  at. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION.  57 

Five  cannon  were  abandoned  in  the  confusion,  and 
the  foe,  with  wild  yells,  came  rushing  on. 

Colonel  Sigel  himself  narrowly  escaped  capture  in 
his  efforts  to  arrest  the  rout.  After  this  disaster  it 
was  impossible  for  Sigel  to  join  Lyon  with  the  rem- 
nant of  his  command,  the  enemy  occupying  the  only 
road  by  which  he  could  do  so  in  time  to  make  the 
movement  of  use.  There  was  no  alternative  for  Sigel 
but  to  withdraw  his  shattered  ranks  from  the  field  as 
safely  as  possible. 

Meantime  General  Lyon  on  the  other  road  had 
encountered  the  enemy’s  pickets  at  day-break,  which 
prevented  the  surprise  from  being  as  great  as  was 
that  of  Sigel.  When  Lyon  reached  the  north  end  of 
the  camp  he  found  the  enemy  prepared  to  receive  him, 
but  he  succeeded  in  gaining  a commanding  position 
at  the  north  of  the  valley  in  which  the  camp  was  sit- 
uated. Abbott  describes  this  part  of  the  engagement 
as  follows  : “ Captain  Plummer  with  four  companies 
of  infantry  protected  his  left  flank.  The  battle  was 
now  commenced  by  a fire  of  shot  and  shell  from  Cap- 
tain Totten’s  battery  and  soon  became  general.  In 
vain  did  the  Rebel  host  endeavor  to  drive  Lyon  from 
his  well  chosen  position.  On  the  right,  on  the  left, 
and  in  front  they  assailed  him  in  charge  succeeding 
charge,  but  in  vain.  His  quick  eye  detected  every 
movement  and  successfully  met  and  defeated  it.  The 
overwhelming  numbers  of  the  Rebels  enabled  them  to 
replace,  after  each  repulse,  their  defeated  forces  with 
fresh  regiments,  while  Lyon’s  little  band  found  no 
time  for  rest,  no  respite  from  the  battle.  The  Rebel 
host  surged  wave  after  wave  upon  his  heroic  lines,  as 


58 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


billows  of  the  sea  dash  upon  the  coast.  And  as  the 
rocks  upon  that  coast  beat  back  the  flood,  so  did  these 
heroic  soldiers  of  freedom  with  courage  which  would 
have  ennobled  veterans,  and  with  patriotism  which  has 
won  a nation’s  homage  and  love,  hurl  back  the  tireless 
surges  of  rebellion,  which  threatened  to  engulf  them. 
It  will  be  enough  for  any  of  these  patriots  to  say,  ‘ I 
was  at  the  battle  of  Wilson’s  Creek,’  to  secure  the 
warmest  grasp  of  every  patriot’s  hand. 

“ Wherever  the  missiles  of  death  flew  thickest,  and 
the  peril  of  battle  was  most  imminent,  there  was  Gen- 
eral Lyon  surely  to  be  found. 

“ His  young  troops  needed  this  encouragement  on 
the  part  of  their  adored  leader  and  it  inspired  them 
with  bravery  which  nothing  else  could  have  conferred. 
His  horse  had  been  shot  under  him ; three  times  he 
had  been  wounded,  and  though  faint  from  the  loss  of 
blood,  he  refused  to  retire  even  to  have  his  wounds 
dressed ; in  vain  did  his  officers  beseech  him  to  avoid 
so  much  exposure.  It  was  one  of  those  eventful 
hours,  which  General  Lyon  fully  comprehended,  in 
which  there  was  no  hope  but  in  despair. 

“Again  and  again  had  the  enemy  been  repulsed,  only 
to  return  again  and  again,  with  fresh  troops  to  the 
charge.  Colonels  Mitchell,  Deitzler,  and  Andrews 
were  all  severely  wounded.  All  the  men  were  ex- 
hausted with  the  long  unintermitted  battle,  and  it 
seemed  as  though  one  puff  of  war’s  fierce  tempest 
would  now  sweep  away  the  thin  and  tremulous  line. 
Just  then  the  Rebels  again  formed  in  a fresh  and  solid 
column  for  the  charge.  With  firm  and  rapid  tread 
and  raising  unearthly  yells  they  swept  up  the  slope. 


BATTLES  FOR  TUB  UNION. 


59 


General  Lyon  called  for  the  troops  standing  nearest 
him  to  form  for  an  opposing  charge.  Undaunted,  and 
ready  for  the  battle  they  inquired  ‘ Who  will  be  our 
leader  ?’  ‘ Come  on,  brave  men,’  shouted  General- 

Lyon,  ‘ I will  lead  you.’  In  a moment  he  was  at 
their  head.  At  the  nest  moment  they  were  on  the 
full  run : at  the  next,  a deadly  storm  of  bullets  swept 
their  ranks,  staggering  but  not  checking  them  in  their 
impetuous  advance, — on — on  they  rushed,  for  God  and 
Liberty ; and  in  another  moment  the  foe  were  dis- 
persed like  dust  by  the  gale.  The  victory  was  entire  ; 
this  division  of  the  Rebels  could  rally  no  more ; the 
army  was  saved ; hut  Lyon  was  dead!  Two  bullets 
had  pierced  his  bosom.  As  he  fell  one  of  his  officers 
sprang  to  his  side  and  inquired  anxiously,  ‘ Are  you 
hurt?’  ‘Not  much,’  was  his  faint  reply.  They 
were  his  last  words.  He  fell  asleep  to  wake  no  more.” 

After  Lyon’s  death  Major  Sturgis  assumed  com- 
mand. His  forces  were  exhausted  with  the  long  bat- 
tle ; they  had  had  no  water  since  the  evening  before, 
and  could,  get  none  nearer  than  Springfield.  A foe 
confronted  them  twenty  thousand  strong,  and  though 
one  victory  had  been  gained,  another  battle  impended. 
Sigel’s  disaster  was  unknown  to  them,  and  when  a 
heavy  column  approached  from  the  direction  in  which 
Sigel’s  guns  had  been  heard,  bearing  the  American 
flag  and  wearing  uniforms  not  unlike  their  own,  they 
naturally  supposed  the  force  to  be  Sigel’s.  The  ad- 
vancing troops  were  allowed  to  approach  unmolested. 

Suddenly  the  Union  banner  was  hauled  down,  the 
Rebel  colors  went  up  and  at  the  same  time  a discharge 
of  artillery  from  a hill  near  by,  swept  our  ranks. 

3* 


60 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


The  fiercest  battle  of  the  day  now  commenced.  But 
Major  Sturgis  and  his  command  sustained  the  unex- 
pected attack  with  unwavering  firmness.  The  line 
remained  compact,  without  a break,  and  though  at 
times  it  seemed  as  though  the  brave  little  band  would 
be  utterly  swept  away,  yet  with  muzzle  to  muzzle  and 
almost  hand  to  hand  the  unequal  contest  was  waged. 
Suddenly,  by  an  ingenious  manoeuvre,  the  reserve  was 
brought  upon  the  enemy’s  flank  and  in  a short  time 
the  whole  Rebel  army  was  routed  and  in  full  retreat. 

Not  having  sufficient  force  to  follow  up  the  victory 
Major  Sturgis  withdrew  to  Springfield,  reaching  that 
place  at  about  five  o’clock  in  the  evening.  The  dis- 
comfited foe  attempted  no  molestation.  Their  plans 
had  been  thwarted  and  their  baggage  train  fired  and 
destroyed. 

Therefore  in  its  results , the  battle  of  Wilson’s  Creek 
may  be  counted  a victory.  It  is  probable  that  but  for 
the  natural  mistake  into  which  Sigel’s  forces  were  led, 
the  complete  rout  of  the  entire  rebel  army  under 
Price  would  have  been  effected. 

Nor  is  it  probable  that  an  attack  conducted  in  any 
other  way  by  so  small  a force  upon  one  so  much  larger 
would  have  been  equally  successful. 

The  results  desired  were  obtained,  but  at  what  fear- 
ful cost ! A nation  mourned  when  Lyon  fell.  Said 
the  New  York  Tribune , in  an  issue  of  that  time. 
“ Such  honors  were  never  before,  perhaps,  paid  to  so 
young  a general. 

“Funeral  obsequies  attended  him  from  the  battle- 
field where  he  fell,  across  one  half  a continent,  taken 
up  from  state  to  state,  from  city  to  city,  from  village  to 


BATTLES  FUR  THE  UNION. 


61 


village  and  carried  forward  for  near  two  thousand 
miles,  amid  the  tearful  eyes,  the  bowed  heads  and  the 
deepest  expressions  of  personal  sorrow  of  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  grateful  people.” 

Thus  was  the  soil  of  Missouri  again  bedewed  with 
patriot  gore,  and  when  the  young  of  future  genera- 
tions shall  search  history  for  examples  of  sublime 
heroism,  among  those  who  died  for  the  cause  of  Union 
and  Liberty,  surely  no  nobler  instance  can  be  found 
than  that  of  Lyon  at  Wilson’s  Creek. 


CHAPTER  V. 


BAIjIj’S  BLUFF. 

Situation  of  Ball’s  Bluff. — The  Hostile  Armies  on  Opposite  Banks  of 
the  River. — Reconnoitre  at  Drainesville. — Feint  of  Gorman’s  Brig- 
ade at  Edward’s  Ferry. — Attack  of  the  Enemy  from  the  Woods. — 
Union  Troops  Exposed  to  a Murderous  Fire. — Death  of  Baker. — 
Ineffectual  Means  of  Transportation. — Attempts  to  Regain  the 
Maryland  Shore. — Troops  Shot  or  Drowned  in  Crossing. — Defeat 
of  the  Union  Arms. — Causes  of  the  Disaster. 

The  months  of  August  and  September,  1861,  passed 
away  without  action  on  the  part  of  General  McClellan, 
who  had  been  elevated  to  the  command  of  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac. 

The  battle  of  Ball’s  Bluff,  which  was  fought  on  the 
twenty  first  of  October,  just  three  months  after  the  en- 
gagement at  Bull  Run,  was  an  event  that  cast  a pro- 
found gloom  over  the  country,  not  only  because  of  the 
defeat  of  the  Union  arms  and  the  death  of  a noble  and 
brave  officer,  but  because  of  the  disappointment  which 
it  caused  to  the  hopes  that  had  been  excited  through 
the  growth  and  development  of  the  army.  Ball’s 
Bluff  is  the  name  applied  to  a part  of  the  bank  of  the 
Potomac  east  of  the  village  of  Leesburg.  Opposite 
the  Bluff  and  about  one  hundred  yards  away  is  Harri- 
son’s Island,  a long  narrow  tract,  containing  about 
four  hundred  acres.  Between  this  island  and  the 
Virginia  shore  the  river  is  about  two  hundred  yards 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


63 


broad,  with  an  exceedingly  rapid  current.  Between 
the  island  and  the  Maryland  shore,  the  stream  is  nearly 
three  hundred  yards  wide,  but  not  quite  so  rapid.  A 
few  rods  above  the  upper  end  of  the  island  is  a ferry 
across  the  Potomac  known  as  Conrad’s  Ferry,  and 
about  an  equal  distance  below  the  island  is  Edward’s 
Ferry.  The  two  hostile  armies  had  for  many  months 
held  the  opposite  banks  of  the  river  at  this  point.  It 
was  here  that  the  Confederates  had  contemplated  an 
irruption  into  Maryland  to  attack  Washington.  Gen- 
eral Banks  held  the  Maryland  side  of  the  river  from 
Great  Falls  to  Edward’s  Ferry ; from  that  point  to 
Conrad’s  Ferry  was  stationed  the  division  of  General 
Stone,  with  headquarters  at  Poolesville.  Next  in  order 
came  the  force  of  Colonel  Geary  and  then  that  of  Col- 
onel Lander.  On  the  Virginia  side  the  principal  Con- 
federate posts  were  at  Leesburg  and  Drainesville. 
As  it  was  important  to  ascertain  the  strength  of  the 
enemy  at  the  latter  place,  General  McClellan  on  the 
nineteenth  of  October,  directed  General  McCall  to 
make  a reconnoisance  in  that  quarter.  McCall  execu- 
ted this  order  the  same  day  and  returned  to  his  camp 
at  Poolesville  on  the  twentieth,  reporting  no  enemy  in 
Drainesville  nor  within  four  miles  of  Leesburg.  In 
consequence  of  this  report  the  following  dispatch  was 
sent  to  General  Stone  : — 

“To  Brigadier-General  Stone, 

Poolesville , Md.: 

General  McClellan  desires  me  to  inform  you  that  Gen- 
eral McCall  occupied  Drainesville  yesterday,  and  is  still  there. 
Will  send  out  reconnoisances  to-day  in  all  directions  from  that 
point.  The  General  desires  you  to  keep  a good  lookout  from 


64 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 


Leesburg,  to  see  if  tbe  movement  has  the  effect  to  drive  them 
away.  Perhaps  a slight  demonstration  on  your  part  would 
have  the  effect  to  move  them. 

A.  V.  Colburn, 

Assistant  Adjutant-  General." 

As  soon  as  these  instructions  reached  General  Stone, 
he  ordered  the  brigade  of  General  Gorman  to  Edward’s 
Ferry ; detachments  of  the  Fifteenth  and  Twentieth 
Massachusetts  to  Harrison’s  Island ; and  a section  of  a 
battery  and  the  California  and  Tammany  Regiments 
under  Colonel  Edward  D.  Baker  to  Conrad’s  Ferry. 
A feint  to  cross  the  river  was  then  made  by  the  force 
of  General  Gorman,  in  full  view  of  the  enemy. 

At  twenty  minutes  after  one  o’clock,  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  twenty-first,  Colonel  Devens  with  five  com- 
panies of  the  Fifteenth  Massachusetts,  accompanied  by 
Colonel  Lee  with  a portion  of  the  Twentieth  Massachu- 
setts, crossed  from  Harrison’s  Island  to  the  Virginia 
side  and  took  position  on  the  top  of  Ball’s  Bluff,  which 
at  this  point  rises  abruptly  some  one  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  from  the  river.  In  order  to  draw  attention 
from  the  movement  of  Devens,  General  Stone  instruct- 
ed Colonel  Gorman  to  hurry  two  companies  of  the 
First  Minnesota  Infantry  across  the  river  and  to  send 
out  a squadron  of  Cavalry  on  the  Leesburg  road.  In 
the  meantime  General  Stone,  having  received  a mes- 
sage from  Colonel  Devens  stating  that  he  had  found 
no  enemy,  ordered  a battalion  of  the  Fifteenth  Massa- 
chusetts to  cross  and  protect  the  flank  of  Devens,  and 
Colonel  Baker  to  be  in  readiness  with  his  brigade  to 
act  as  a support  if  necessary.  Colonel  Devans  con- 
tinuing to  push  forward,  encountered  a large  body  of 


BATTLES  FOR  TRE  UNION. 


65 


Confederate  troops  near  Leesburg  a few  minutes  after 
sunrise,  and  immediately  fell  back  in  good  order  to 
the  Bluff.  While  waiting  reinforcements  and  further 
orders  he  was  attacked  about  noon  by  the  enemy  who 
opened  fire  from  a concealed  position  in  the  woods. 

The  small  Union  force  suffered  greatly  from  this 
attack,  being  drawn  up  in  an  open  field  of  about  six 
acres  and  exposed  on  all  sides  to  the  fire  of  the  Con- 
federate sharpshooters.  Detachments  of  the  First  Cali- 
fornia, Twentieth  Massachusetts,  Tammany  Regiment, 
and  four  pieces  of  artillery  had  now  crossed  the  river, 
and  at  twenty  minutes  after  two  o’clock  in  the  after- 
noon, the  skirmishing  in  front  became  very  brisk. 

Colonel  Baker,  having  assumed  command  of  the 
entire  force,  formed  his  line  for  action  at  four  o’clock 
* — the  Fifteenth  and  Twentieth  Massachusetts  on  the 
right,  the  Californians  on  the  left  and  the  Tammany 
Regiment  and  the  artillery  in  the  centre.  Indications 
of  a large  Confederate  force  now  became  apparent 
although  none  were  visible.  These  troops  numbering 
not  far  from  four  thousand  men  pressing  upon  the 
little  band  of  Colonel  Baker  with  increasing  vigor  and 
more  effective  fire,  induced  a consultation  among  the 
Union  officers  which  resulted  in  a determination  to 
stand.  A l'etreat  was  sure  to  result  in  disaster,  as  such 
a movement  would  bring  them  to  the  steep  brink  of 
the  river,  where  the  rapid  descent  only  led  to  a small 
boat  and  a scow  as  a means  of  transport  over  a swift 
channel.  To  hold  their  ground  until  reinforcements 
could  cross  at  Edward’s  Ferry  and  come  to  their  aid, 
was  now  their  only  hope.  Two  companies  being 
pushed  forward,  to  feel  the  Confederates  in  the  woods 


66 


BATTLES  FUR  THE  UNION. 


on  the  left,  were  met  by  a murderous  fire  which  seemed 
to  be  the  signal  for  an  attack  along  the  whole  line  of 
the  enemy,  who,  readily  discovering  their  superiority 
in  numbers,  closed  in  on  both  sides  of  the  field  with 
overwhelming  force. 

The  gallant  Colonel  Baker  fell  dead  while  in  the  act 
of  leading  his  men  in  a charge.  Colonel  Cogswell  of 
the  Tammany  Regiment  now  assumed  command,  and 
as  he  found  it  impossible  to  hold  his  position  attempt- 
ed to  regain  the  Maryland  shore.  Our  troops  retired 
in  good  order  closely  pursued  by  the  Confederates. 
On  reaching  the  river  but  one  boat  was  at  hand  and 
that  was  swamped  at  the  second  crossing.  After  the 
boat  went  down  no  alternative  was  left  but  to  swim  or 
surrender.  The  majority  chose  the  former  course  and 
throwing  their  arms  into  the  river,  dispersed,  some 
up  and  some  down  the  bank,  and  others  on  logs 
endeavored  to  reach  Harrison’s  Island  by  swimming. 
In  this  attempt  many  were  shot  and  more  were 
drowned.  The  artillery  was  tumbled  down  the  bank 
but  was  subsequently  taken  up  by  the  enemy,  together 
with  some  cases  of  shot. 

Not  more  than  nine  hundred  of  our  men  returned 
to  their  camps,  about  half  of  the  missing  having  been 
taken  prisoners  on  the  river  shore.  The  Confederates, 
who  were  commanded  by  General  Evans,  admitted  a 
loss  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-five. 

During  the  progress  of  the  battle,  General  Stone 
was  preparing  to  cross  the  river  at  Edward’s  Ferry, 
but  desisted  on  the  receipt  of  news  announcing  the 
death  of  Colonel  Baker  and  the  defeat  of  his  command. 
Orders  were  then  received  from  McClellan  to  hold  the 


BATTLES  FOR  TIIE  UNIOX. 


67 


Island  and  Virginia  shore  at  Edward’s  Ferry,  at  all 
hazards.  General  Gorman  at  once  proceeded  to 
strengthen  his  position,  and  reinforcements  came  for- 
ward until  there  were  nearly  four  thousand  Infantry, 
with  Ricketts’  Battery,  and  a detachment  of  cavalry, 
on  the  Virginia  shore,  behind  five  hundred  feet  of  in- 
trenchments.  Further  intelligence  caused  a change 
of  plan  and  the  whole  force  returned  to  the  Maryland 
side  of  the  Potomac. 

The  principal  causes  of  our  repulse  at  Ball’s  Bluff 
were  the  selection  of  a miserable  point  for  crossing 
the  Potomac,  insufficient  means  of  transportation  and 
lack  of  a definite  object  in  venturing  into  a position 
where  retreat  was  utterly  impossible  in  the  face  of 
greatly  superior  numbers. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

mill  spring-. 

Geographical  Location  of  Mill  Spring. — Encampment  of  Zollicoffer.— 
Occupancy  of  Logan’s  Cross  Roads  by  Union  Troops. — The  Enemy 
Hedged  in. — Starvation  or  Battle. — Zollicoffer  Leads  the  Rebel  Ad- 
vance.— Colonel  Fry  Discovers  a General’s  Uniform  under  a Rubber 
Overcoat. — The  Fatal  Shot. — Zollicoffer  Falls. — Consternation  and 
Rout  of  the  Enemy. — A Deserted  Camp. — Victory  for  the  “Boys 
in  Blue.” 

On  the  blue  waters  of  the  Cumberland,  about 
twenty-five  miles  southeast  of  Columbia,  and  fifteen 
miles  west  of  Somerset,  is  situated  Mill  Spring,  Ken- 
tucky, made  famous  as  one  of  the  battle  grounds  of 
the  war,  and  as  the  spot  where  fell  the  popular  Con- 
federate General  Zollicoffer,  shot  dead  by  the  pistol 
of  Colonel  Fry  of  the  Fourth  Kentucky  Volunteers. 

During  the  late  autumn  of  1861,  and  early  winter 
of  1862,  General  Zollicoffer  was  encamped  at  Mill 
Spring,  on  the  southern  bank  of  the  Cumberland. 
Resolving  also  to  occupy  the  opposite  or  northern 
bank  at  Camp  Beach  Grove,  he  fortified  the  latter 
place  with  earthworks,  and  placed  there  five  regiments 
of  infantry,  twelve  guns,  and  several  hundred  cavalry, 
keeping  at  Mill  Spring  two  regiments  of  infantry  and 
a few  hundred  horse.  About  the  first  of  January, 
1862,  the  force  was  augmented  by  the  brigade  of 
General  Carroll,  from  Knoxville, — General  George  B. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION.  59 

Crittenden  having  arrived  and  taken  command  a short 
time  previous. 

On  the  seventeenth  of  January,  pursuant  to  orders 
from  General  Buell,  General  Thomas  advanced  and 
occupied  Logan’s  Cross  Roads,  ten  miles  north  of  the 
Beech  Grove  Camp.  The  enemy  was  in  a critical 
situation.  Already  on  short  allowance,  their  supplies 
of  food  promised  to  be  cut  off  entirely.  The  sur- 
rounding country  had  been  exhausted,  and  the  sup- 
plies which  might  have  come  down  the  Cumberland 
from  Nashville,  were  prevented  by  the  Union  forces 
stationed  at  Columbia.  In  every  direction  the  roads 
leading  outward  into  the  more  remote  country  were 
impassible.  Added  to  this,  General  Schoepf  held  the 
key  to  the  position  fifteen  miles  to  the  eastward,  at 
Somerset.  Therefore,  the  only  way  out  of  this  en- 
vironment of  difficulties  which  surrounded  them,  was 
to  make  an  attack  upon  the  Union  forces  at  Logan's 
Cross  Roads.  The  design  was  to  attack  our  troops 
before  the  force  at  Somerset  would  be  able  to  join 
them,  and  also  before  the  reserve  at  Columbia  could 
be  brought  up.  In  pursuance  of  this  plan,  on  the 
nineteenth  of  January,  the  brigade  of  Zollicoffer 
moved  in  advance,  followed  by  that  of  Carroll  and  the 
reserve,  constituting  a force  of  about  four  thousand 
infantry.  Zollicoffer’s  command  consisted  of  four 
regiments  of  infantry  and  four  guns.  Two  Missis- 
sippi companies  were  deployed  as  skirmishers,  march- 
ing one  on  each  side  of  the  road.  About  two  miles 
from  camp  the  Federal  cavalry  was  encountered  and 
driven  in,  and  Zollicoffer  rode  confidently  on,  as  he 
believed,  to  victory.  A rubber  overcoat  disguised  his 


70 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


uniform,  but  his  features  were  too  well  known  to  pre- 
vent him  from  being  a mark  for  the  muskets  of  the 
“ boys  in  blue.”  The  fatal  hour  for  him  crept  on 
apace,  and  as  the  Confederate  General,  surrounded  by 
his  staff,  ascended  a hill,  he  encountered  the  main 
body  of  the  Federal  troops.  It  was  at  this  point  that 
Colonel  Fry  of  the  Fourth  Kentucky  infantry,  recog- 
nizing the  Rebel  leader,  took  swift  aim  with  his  re- 
volver, and  the  fall  of  Zollicoffer  attested  the  sure 
work  of  the  pistol  ball. 

Consternation  and  disorder  among  the  Confederate 
troops  followed,  and  in  the  resulting  confusion  the 
Ninth  Ohio  charged  with  the  bayonet,  turning  the 
enemy’s  flank  and  driving  him  from  the  field.  Thus 
the  Confederate  forces  fell  ingloriously  back  to  their 
intrenchments  on  the  Cumberland. 

The  cannonade  was  continued  until  dark.  In  the 
evening  the  forces  under  General  Sclioepf  at  Somer- 
set, came  up,  and  on  the  following  morning  the  can- 
nonading was  resumed  with  Parrott  guns,  the  fire 
being  directed  in  part  against  the  ferry  across  Fishing 
Creek — a swollen  torrent  between  Columbia  and  Som- 
erset— to  keep  the  enemy  from  crossing.  Upon  ap- 
proaching the  intrenchments  it  was  discovered  that 
the  enemy  had  decamped  during  the  night,  abandon- 
ing everything, — twelve  guns,  with  caissons  filled,  one 
hundred  and  fifty  wagons,  one  thousand  horses,  and 
many  stores.  After  crossing  they  had  burned  the 
ferry  boats,  so  that  pursuit  was  impossible.  As  they 
could  not  hold  the  camp  they  were  obliged  to  abandon 
everything  and  retire  to  the  most  accessible  point  of 
supply. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


71 


The  Union  loss  was  thirty-nine  killed,  and  two  hun- 
dred and  seven  wounded.  The  Confederates  lost  one 
hundred  and  ninety  killed,  sixty-two  wounded,  and 
eighty-nine  prisoners,  besides  the  loss  of  General  Zol- 
licoffer  and  Baillie  Peyton,  and  also  a large  number 
that  were  drowned  while  crossing  the  Cumberland. 

The  battle  of  Mill  Spring  was  one  of  a series  of 
engagements  which  resulted  so  successfully,  that  by 
March  1st,  1862,  every  Confederate  soldier  had  left 
the  State. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


PEA  R.IIDG-E. 

The  Boston  Mountains  Camp. — Red  Skin  Re-enforcements. — Sigel’s 
Ten-mile  Fight. — The  Long  Battle-  Line. — “ War’s  Thunders  and 
Flowers  of  Red  Shot.” — Sigel  Frustrates  McCulloch. — Struggle 
Between  Osterhaus  and  McCulloch. — Bold  Charge  of  Indiana 
Troops. — Re-enforcements. — Night  brings  a Suspension  of  Hostili- 
ties.— Battle  at  Sunrise. — Terrible  Array  of  Union  Batteries. — Two 
Hours  of  Iron  Hail. — The  Enemy  Completely  Routed. — Precipitous 
Retreat  to  the  Boston  Mountains. — Death  of  McCulloch. — Fearful 
Barbarities. — Burial  of  the  Dead. — Elk  Horn. 

THE  opening  scenes  in  the  drama  of  this  battle 
slowly  merged  into  view  during  the  first  days  of 
March,  1862.  The  wild  scenery  of  Northwestern 
Arkansas,  where  the  rugged  outlines  of  the  Boston 
Mountains  throw  their  shadows  in  the  sun,  constituted 
its  shadowy  back-ground. 

Sterling  Price  and  Ben  McCulloch  were  there,  hav- 
ing been  driven  from  Sugar  Creek,  fifty  miles  away, 
by  our  forces.  There,  too,  Earl  Van  Dorn’s  troops 
reenforced  them,  not  only  with  the  flower  of  the  South- 
ern chivalry  but  also  with  the  dusky  ranks  of  the  Lo 
family — a body  of  Choctaw,  Cherokee,  and  Chickasaw 
Indians  under  the  leadership  of  Confederate  Pike. 
Added  to  this,  came  also  the  division  of  McIntosh, 
making  the  powerful  array  of  nine  thousand  Missouri 
State  troops  under  Price,  six  Arkansas  regiments  un- 
der McCulloch,  five  Texan  regiments  under  Van  Dorn, 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


73 


and  some  three  thousand  Indians  under  Pike  and 
McIntosh,  aggregating  between  twenty  and  twenty- 
five  thousand  men.  This  force  carried  seventy  guns, 
and  Yan  Dorn  was  their  chief.  The  Union  General 
Curtis  waited  expectantly  at  Sugar  Creek,  a short 
distance  south  of  Pea  Ridge,  preparing  himself  for 
the  storm  of  battle  about  to  break  above  his  head. 

Meantime,  on  March  fifth,  Sigel,  then  at  Benton- 
ville,  ten  miles  away,  received  orders  to  join  Curtis  at 
Pea  Ridge,  and  on  the  next  day  the  command  was 
promptly  executed.  But  it  was  a hazardous  and 
difficult  achievement.  Four  Confederate  regiments 
attacked  his  rear-guard,  which  consisted  of  the  Thirty- 
Sixth  Illinois,  and  Second  Missouri.  But  the  attack 
was  useless,  for  these  brave  men  cut  their  way  through 
the  solid  living  wall  of  Rebel  soldiery  and  rejoined 
their  comrades,  though  with  a loss  of  twenty-eight 
killed  and  wounded  and  a number  of  prisoners.  For 
the  entire  distance  of  ten  miles  Sigel  contested  every 
step  of  his  advance.  Supported  by  the  infantry,  his 
guns  were  halted,  and  the  advancing  Rebel  ranks,  un- 
able to  stand  before  the  discharges  of  grape  and  shell 
from  the  effective  aim  of  our  artillerymen,  broke  and 
fled  in  confusion.  Before  the  scattered  ranks  of  the 
enemy  could  re-form,  the  guns  of  Sigel  were  limbered 
and  the  troops  fell  back  into  position  behind  another 
battery  planted  at  the  next  turn  in  the  road.  This 
programme  was  continuously  enacted  for  the  entire 
distance  of  ten  miles  between  Bentonville  and  Pea 
Ridge.  At  last  Sigel  arrived  at  the  west  end  of  Pea 
Ridge,  where  he  formed  a junction  with  the  divisions 
of  Generals  Carr  and  Davis. 


74 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


On  the  morning  of  the  fifth  of  March,  General  Van 
Dorn  moved  forward  with  his  command,  taking  with 
him  four  days  cooked  rations.  He  had  decided  to 
attack  our  rear  and  endeavor  thus  to  cut  off  our  base 
of  supplies  and  reenforcements. 

The  Union  position  was  on  the  main  road  leading 
from  Springfield  to  Fayetteville,  and  General  Van 
Dorn,  leaving  that  road  near  the  latter  place  and 
passing  through  Bentonville,  entered  the  main  road 
again  near  the  state  boundary  eight  miles  north  of 
Sugar  Creek.  A considerable  body  of  Indians  took 
position  about  two  miles  away  on  our  right,  to  divert 
attention  from  the  main  attack  in  the  rear,  while  a 
small  force  was  left  to  make  a feint  upon  our  front. 
The  first  two  divisions  of  the  Union  troops  were  com- 
manded by  Sigel,  and  the  entire  force  was  in  four 
divisions  under  Colonel  Osterhaus,  General  Asbotli, 
Colonel  Jefferson  C.  Davis,  and  Colonel  Carr,  respeck 
ively.  When  the  intention  of  the  enemy  to  attack 
our  right  and  rear  became  apparent  to  General  Cur- 
tis, he  changed  front  so  that  his  right  wing  which  was 
at  Sugar  Hollow  Creek,  became  his  left  wing  under 
Sigel,  while  Carr  at  the  head  of  Big  Sugar  Creek  held 
the  new  right.  The  line  stretched  across  Pea  Ridge. 
It  was  early  on  the  morning  of  the  seventh,  and  Carr’s 
division  advanced  to  a point  up  the  road  within  four 
miles  of  the  Arkansas  and  Missouri  State  line,  while 
the  brigade  of  Colonel  Dodge  filed  off  from  the  main 
road  east  of  the  Elk  Horn  hotel,  and  Yandeveer’s 
brigade  passed  a half  mile  beyond  the  hotel,  taking 
position  on  tire  left  of  the  road. 

The  enemy,  sheltered  by  some  woods,  were  posted 


BATTLES  FOR  TIIE  UNION. 


75 


on  a declivity  in  front  of  the  Elk  Horn  house.  Col- 
onel Dodge  now  inaugurated  the  battle  by  opening 
fire  on  the  enemy  at  that  point,  but  he  met  with  a 
prompt  response.  At  the  same  time  also,  a battery 
from  our  lines  sent  its  well-directed  fire  into  the  ranks 
of  the  enemy  with  great  effect,  hut  was  sharply  replied 
to,  exploding  two  of  the  Union  caissons.  Nine  o’clock 
had  arrived  and  the  whole  line  was  engaged  in  the 
fury  of  battle.  In  a short  time  after  this  the  enemy 
captured  one  of  our  guns,  hut  the  Ninth  Iowa  infantry 
supports  coming  up  at  this  time  discharged  them  fire 
with  such  vigor  into  the  Rebel  ranks  that  they  were 
driven  to  the  shelter  of  the  woods.  Repeated  charges 
were  made  by  the  enemy,  and  another  gun  and  caisson 
were  captured,  but  the  steady  fire  of  our  troops  strewed 
the  ground  with  their  dead.  Carr,  holding  an  unten- 
able position  and  overpowered  by  superior  numbers, 
was  compelled  to  retire  until  about  four  in  the  after- 
noon, when  Colonel  Asboth  supporting  him  with  two 
regiments  and  a battery,  he  was  enabled  to  hold  his 
ground  for  the  night.  The  enemy  were  armed  with 
double-barreled  shot  guns,  loaded  with  ball  and  buck 
shot — an  effective  weapon  at  short  range. 

On  the  left  wing  McCulloch  endeavored  to  form  a 
junction  with  the  troops  of  Yan  Dorn  and  Price,  thus 
surrounding  our  army  on  three  sides  and  cutting  off 
our  retreat.  But  the  quick  eyes  of  Sigel,  detecting  the 
movement,  he  ordered  forward  three  pieces  of  flying 
artillery  and  a force  of  cavalry  to  take  a commanding 
position  and  delay  the  movements  of  the  enemy  until 
our  infantry  could  be  brought  up  in  position  for  an 
attack.  But  these  pieces  had  hardly  obtained  their 

4 


76 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


position  -when  an  overwhelming  force  of  the  enemy’s 
cavalry  swept  down  upon  them,  capturing  our  artillery 
and  driving  our  horsemen.  This  movement  enabled 
their  infantry  to  reach  in  safety  the  cover  of  a dense 
wood  where  McCulloch  encountered  Osterhaus  and  a 
severe  struggle  ensued.  Davis  was  now  ordered  to 
the  support  of  the  Union  line,  and  the  Third  Iowa  was 
sent  forward  to  clear  the  timber ; but  the  enemy  were 
in  great  numbers,  the  ranks  of  our  cavalry  were 
broken,  in  disorder,  and  pursued,  and  we  suffered  the 
captime  of  three  guns.  But  at  this  critical  juncture 
Osterhaus  and  his  Indiana  regiments  came  up  on  the 
double-quick  and  sending  a murderous  fire  into  the 
enemy’s  ranks,  charged  immediately  after  with  the. 
bayonet.  This  bold  charge  put  to  rout  the  Indians 
and  Texans,  and  the  three  captured  field  pieces  were 
recovered.  The  command  was  then  reenforced  by 
General  Sigel,  and  the  action  re- commenced  with 
greater  fury  than  before. 

The  heavy  guns  of  the  enemy  were  brought  into 
position  and  an  artillery  battle  took  place  which  re- 
sulted in  the  retirement  of  the  enemy  in  confusion, 
leaving  the  Union  troops  masters  of  this  part  of  the 
bloody  field.  Night  let  fall  her  intervening  curtain  of 
darkness  between  the  contending  armies,  with  Union 
success  on  the  left,  defeat  on  the  right,  and  the  battle 
yet  unfinished.  At  dark  the  firing  ceased  from  all 
quarters  and  the  exhausted  soldiers  slept  upon  their 
arms.  Carr’s  division  now  occupied  the  center  with 
Davis  on  the  right,  and  Sigel  still  holding  the  left. 
Near  the  position  occupied  by  our  forces  a hill  rose 
abruptly  to  the  height  of  two  hundred  feet,  very  pre- 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


77 


cipitous  in  our  front,  but  sloping  gradually  to  the 
northward.  On  this  eminence  the  enemy  during  the 
night  had  planted  batteries  which  commanded  our 
forces,  and  also  at  the  right  base  of  this  hill,  batteries 
and  large  bodies  of  infantry  were  posted.  At  the 
edge  of  some  timber  to  the  left,  supports  of  infantry 
were  disposed,  while  beyond  the  road,  to  the  extreme 
left,  were  posted  their  cavalry  and  infantry. 

At  sunrise  our  right  and  center  with  their  batteries, 
opened  fire  upon  the  enemy,  while  Sigel,  having 
learned  the  exact  position  of  the  enemy’s  batteries, 
advanced  with  the  left  wing  to  take  the  hill,  forming 
his  line  of  battle  by  changing  front  so  as  to  face  the 
right  flank  of  the  enemy. 

Sigel  then  ordered  the  Twenty-Fifth  Illinois  into 
position  along  a fence  in  open  view  of  the  Confeder- 
ate batteries,  which  immediately  opened  fire  upon 
them.  One  of  our  batteries,  consisting  of  six  or 
seven  guns,  several  of  which  were  rifled  twelve-pound- 
ers was  at  once  thrown  into  line  one  hundred  paces  to 
the  rear  of  our  advanced  infantry,  on  a rise  of  ground. 

The  Twelfth  Missouri  then  wheeled  into  line  with 
the  Twenty-Fifth  Illinois  on  their  left,  and  another 
battery  of  guns  similarly  arranged  a short  distance 
behind  them.  But  the  crushing  array  was  not  yet 
complete,  for  still  another  regiment  and  another  bat- 
tery wheeled  into  position,  until  thirty  pieces  of 
artillery,  fifteen  or  twenty  paces  distant  from  each 
other,  formed  one  unbroken  line,  with  the  infantry 
lying  down  in  front.  As  each  piece  circled  into  posi- 
tion, its  fire  was  discharged  at  the  enemy,  and  the  fire 
of  the  entire  line  was  so  effective  as  to  silence  every 


78 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


Confederate  battery,  one  by  one.  “ Such  a terrible 
fire  no  human  courage  could  stand.  The  crowded 
ranks  of  the  enemy  were  decimated,  their  horses  shot 
at  their  guns,  and  large  trees  literally  demolished ; 
but  the  Rebels  stood  bravely  to  their  posts.  For  over 
two  hours  did  the  iron  hail  fall,  until  one  by  one  the 
Rebel  pieces  ceased  to  play.  Onward  crept  our  in- 
fantry ; onward  came  Sigel  and  his  terrible  guns. 
Shorter  and  shorter  became  the  range.  No  charge  of 
theirs  could  face  that  iron  hail  or  dare  to  venture  on 
that  compact  line  of  bayonets.  They  turned  and  fled. 
The  center  and  right  were  ordered  forward,  the  right 
turning  the  left  of  the  enemy  and  cross-firing  on  his 
center.  This  final  position  of  the  enemy  was  in  the 
arc  of  a circle.  A charge  of  infantry  by  the  whole 
line  completely  routed  them,  and  they  retreated 
through  the  deep,  impassable  defiles  of  Cross  Tim- 
ber, towards  the  Boston  Mountains,  closely  pursued 
by  the  cavalry.” 

The  Union  loss  at  this  battle  was  two  hundred  and 
twelve  killed,  nine  hundred  and  seventy-two  wounded, 
one  hundred  and  seventy-six  missing.  The  enemy’s 
loss  was  reported  at  two  thousand.  General  Herbert, 
Colonel  Stone,  Adjutant  General,  and  Colonel  Price 
were  taken  prisoners.  Ben.  McCulloch,  General  Mc- 
Intosh, and  General  Stark  were  among  the  killed. 
General  Price  was  wounded. 

On  the  ninth  of  March,  General  Van  Dorn  asked 
permission  to  bury  the  dead  of  the  seventh  and  eighth. 
General  Curtis  granted  permission,  but  in  the  letter 
accompanying  it  complained  that  in  some  cases  the 
Union  dead  had  been  scalped  and  mangled.  General 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


79 


Yan  Dorn  replied,  expressing  a desire  to  repress  the 
savage  horrors  of  war,  and  stated  that  numbers  of 
Confederate  prisoners  who  had  surrendered,  were  re- 
ported to  have  been  murdered  in  cold  blood  by  the 
Germans.  General  Curtis  replied  that  he  had  no 
knowledge  of  any  such  atrocities  committed  by  Ger- 
man soldiers  under  his  command. 

A strange  feature  of  this  contest  was  the  employ- 
ment of  the  wild  hordes  of  Indian  tribes  under  the 
leadership  of  McCulloch  and  McIntosh.  They  rushed 
to  the  fray  with  savage  war-whoops  and  hideous 
yells,  and  the  cleft  skulls  lying  in  pools  of  blood  after 
the  battle,  showed  that  their  barbarian  mode  of  war- 
fare had  not  been  forgotten.  McCulloch  met  his  fate 
on  the  first  day  of  the  battle,  leading  the  advance  on 
the  left.  A minie  ball  penetrated  his  left  lung,  and 
he  died  of  the  wound  at  about  eleven  o’clock  that 
night.  His  career  as  a soldier  was  a checkered  one. 
His  military  glory  beginning  among  the  assembled 
ranks  of  Texan  Rangers  on  the  banks  of  the  Guada- 
loupe,  twenty-six  years  before,  now  went  down  in 
blood.  San  Jacinto  and  Buena  Yista  had  witnessed 
his  bravery,  but  the  field  of  Pea  Ridge  witnessed  his 
fall,  fighting  against  country — against  liberty.  It 
was  a bloody  engagement,  lasting  fifteen  hours, — the 
greater  part  of  two  consecutive  days  being  spent  in 
battle.  But  northern  Arkansas  was  cleared  of  Con- 
federate troops,  and  the  forces  of  Yan  Dorn  and  Price 
were  sent  to  the  support  of  Beauregard  at  Memphis. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


ZMiZEIERIERIIs^^a  -AJSTID  MONITOR. 

The  Projection  of  the  Monitor. — Ericsson’s  Visit' to  Washington. — The 
Merrimac  Launched. — Arrival  off  Newport  News. — Attack  on  the 
Cumberland. — Heroism  of  the  Crew. — No  Surrender. — Sublime 
Bravery. — Sinking  of  the  ill-fated  Frigate. — The  Burning  of  the 
Congress. — Despair  of  the  Fleet. — The  Speck  of  Light  on  the 
Waves. — Arrival  of  the  Monitor. — The  Merrimac  Again  Appears. — 
The  Strange  Looking  Antagonist. — The  Fight  Opens. — Fierce  Con- 
flict.— The  Baptism  of  Fire. — Four  Hours  of  Battle. — The  Merri- 
mac Signals  for  Help. — The  Monitor  Victorious. — Our  Fleet  Saved. — 
Cheers  of  the  Multitude. 

PERHAPS  no  single  event  of  our  last  war  decided 
issues  of  greater  moment  to  the  nation  than  the 
naval  engagement  between  the  Merrimac  and  Monitor. 

Had  the  Merrimac  been  successful,  every  other  craft 
on  the  high  seas,  at  home  or  abroad,  would  have  been 
at  her  mercy.  Going  about  like  some  wild  monster 
of  the  deep,  with  her  iron  tusk  and  her  coat  of  mail, 
impervious  to  shot  or  shell,  she  could  have  destroyed 
whole  fleets  and  sent  them  whirling  to  the  bottom. 
New  York  city  would  have  been  unsafe, — every  city 
on  the  coast  would  have  been  unsafe,  and  the  proba- 
ble ravages  of  this  iron  Leviathan  can  hardly  be  prop- 
erly estimated.  What  might  have  happened  but  for 
the  Monitor,  who  can  tell  ? But  the  Monitor,  Provi- 
dentially— can  we  believe  otherwise  ? — proved  to  be 
our  David  of  the  seas  who  slew  the  iron-clad  Goliah 
and  saved  to  us  our  navy. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


81 


Instigated  and  pushed  forward  by  private  enter- 
prise, she  was  successfully  launched  in  the  face  of  all 
adverse  prediction,  and  arrived  off  Newport  News 
barely  in  time  to  ai'rest  the  Merrimac  on  her  errand 
of  wholesale  destruction. 

C.  S.  Bushnell,  Esq.,  a capitalist  of  New  Haven, 
Connecticut,  learning  of  Captain  Ericsson’s  plan  for 
an  invulnerable  sea  battery,  was  the  prime  mover 
in  the  building  of  the  Monitor.  That  gentleman 
insisted  on  taking  the  model  to  Washington,  in  com- 
pany with  Ericsson,  and  submitting  the  new  and 
strange  diagrams  to  the  Government  Naval  Board. 
After  persistent  efforts  he  was  successful  in  obtain- 
ing a guarantee  of  payment  when  the  Monitor  should 
demonstrate  her  ability  to  do  all  that  was  promised 
concerning  her. 

The  steam  frigate  Merrimac,  scuttled  and  sunk  at 
the  burning  of  the  Norfolk  navy  yard,  was  considered 
one  of  the  finest  ships  in  the  American  navy.  She 
mounted  forty  guns  and  was  estimated  at  four  thou- 
sand tons  burden. 

“This  magnificent  structure  was  raised  by  the 
Rebels  and  cut  down,  leaving  only  the  hull,  which  was 
exceedingly  massive  and  solid.  Over  this  they  con- 
structed a sloping  shield  of  railroad  iron,  firmly  plated 
together,  and  extending  two  feet  under  the  water. 
Its  appearance  was  much  like  the  slanting  roof  of  a 
house,  set  upon  a ship’s  hull  like  an  extinguisher, — 
the  ends  of  the  vessel  fore  and  aft,  projecting  a few 
feet  beyond  this  roof.  The  gun-deck  was  completely 
inclosed  by  tliis  shield,  and  nothing  appeared  above  it 


82 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


but  a short  smoke-stack  and  two  flag-staffs.  The 
weight  of  iron  was  so  immense  that  the  ship  nearly 
broke  her  back  in  launching;  but  the  fracture  was 
repaired.  The  fact  that  such  a formidable  mailed 
battery  was  in  preparation,  was  well  known  at  the 
North,  and  her  speedy  appearance  was  daily  predicted 
by  the  press.” 

On  Saturday  the  eighth  of  March,  1862 — the  same 
day  that  Fremont  fought  the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge — the 
Merrimac  steamed  into  the  mouth  of  the  James  River 
from  Norfolk,  headed  towards  our  blockading  fleet  off 
Newport  News.  The  old  passenger  steamers,  the 
Jamestown  and  Yorktown,  plying  formerly  between 
New  York  and  Richmond,  and  now  refitted  into  Con- 
federate war  vessels,  accompanied  the  Merrimac,  and 
in  her  train  came  a retinue  of  armed  tugs  and  other 
war  craft.  The  frigates  Cumberland  and  Congress, 
doing  guard  duty  off  Newport  News,  were  anchored 
half  a mile  from  shore  as  the  Merrimac  came  in  sight. 
Unmindful  of  the  broadsides  which  the  two  frigates 
hurled  against  her  iron  sides,  she  steered  straight  for 
the  Cumberland,  and  rushing  upon  her,  struck  her 
amidships,  inflicting  a death  blow.  Then,  reversing 
her  engine,  she  went  back  and  making  a second 
plunge,  again  struck  the  Cumberland  in  the  same 
place,  crushing  through  the  whole  side  of  the  ship. 

At  the  same  time  the  guns  of  the  iron-clad  demon 
thundered  destruction  through  the  decks  of  the  ill- 
fated  Cumberland,  strewing  her  floors  with  the  dead, 
wounded,  and  dying.  But  her  brave  crew  under  com- 
mand of  Lieutenant  George  M.  Morris,  with  a hero- 
ism which  rose  to  the  pitch  of  sublimity,  still  fought 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


83 


on,  as  long  as  a gun  of  the  sinking  ship  remained 
unsubmerged.  “ One  sailor  with  both  his  legs  shot 
off,  hobbled  up  to  his  gun  on  the  bleeding  stumps  and 
pulling  the  lanyard,  fired  it,  then  fell  back  dead.” 

The  heroic  commander  and  the  no  less  heroic  crew 
proudly  refused  to  lower  the  beloved  stars  and  stripes 
to  the  flag  of  Rebellion,  preferring  to  sink  with  the 
ship  rather  than  surrender.  Rapidly  the  noble  Cum- 
berland went  down,  her  guns  thundering  as  she  sank, 
the  last  shot  being  fired  from  her  deck  while  the  gun- 
ner who  pulled  the  trigger  stood  knee-deep  in  water. 
After  the  frigate  was  engulfed,  “ a few  feet  of  her  top- 
masts rose  above  the  wave,  and  there  the  stars  and 
stripes  still  floated,  victorious  in  death.”  “ The  sur- 
face of  the  water  was  now  covered  with  fragments  of 
the  wreck,  and  with  hundreds  of  men  swimming 
towards  the  shore,  while  from  all  directions,  boats 
were  pushing  out  for  their  rescue.  About  one  hun- 
dred of  the  dead  and  wounded  went  down  with  the 
ship.  While  this  multitude  of  men  were  struggling 
in  the  water,  the  steam  propeller  “ Whillden,”  then 
lying  under  the  guns  of  Newport  News,  not  half 
a mile  off,  Captain  William  Riggins  commanding,  in- 
stantly put  off  in  the  face  of  the  resistless  enemy  and 
rescued  a large  number  who  would  otherwise  have 
been  drowned.  Probably  her  humane  errand  saved 
her  from  the  destruction  to  whioh  she  was  exposed, 
since  the  moment  after  she  had  picked  up  the  last 
man,  a shot  from  the  Merrimac  passed  through  her 
boiler,  thus  emphatically  ordering  her  away.” 

It  had  taken  only  three-quarters  of  an  hour  to  dis- 
patch the  Cumberland,  and  the  destroying  demon  in 

4* 


84 


BATTLES  FUR  THE  UNION. 


mailed  armor,  made  the  Congress  her  next  object  of 
attention. 

That  vessel  being  only  partly  manned  was  grounded 
while  endeavoring  to  escape  from  the  fatal  clutches  of 
the  Merrimac,  who  came  on,  resistless  as  doom. 

At  a distance  of  about  one  hundred  yards  from  the 
helpless  Congress,  the  Merrimac  discharged  her  ter- 
rible broadsides  into  the  disabled  ship,  while  the  two 
Confederate  gun-boats,  the  Jamestown  and  York- 
town  rushed  up  on  either  side  and  added  their  rain  of 
red-hot  shot  to  that  of  the  Merrimac.  The  dead  and 
dying  on  the  decks  of  the  Congress  were  mingled 
in  sickening  confusion  with  dismantled  guns  and  torn 
rigging.  Her  dry  timbers  took  fire  in  three  places, 
and,  fanned  by  the  fresh  breeze,  soon  the  billows  of 
flame  rolled  above  the  billows  of  water.  With  her 
commanding  officer  killed  and  her  wounded  facing 
the  prospect  of  death  by  the  slow  torture  of  burning, 
the  Congress,  at  last,  surrendered.  But  with  horrible 
inhumanity,  the  Merrimac  fired  another  broadside 
into  her  while  the  white  flag  was  flying  at  her  mast- 
head. 

The  Congress  burned  until  midnight  when,  the  fire 
reaching  her  magazine,  she  exploded  with  a noise 
which  shook  the  bay  and  sent  the  fiery  fragments, 
like  a thousand  rockets,  into  the  air. 

The  two  remaining  frigates  of  the  fleet,  the  St. 
Lawrence  and  the  Minnesota,  were  next  in  order  of 
attack,  and,  strangely  enough,  they  were  both  aground. 
But  the  Minnesota  sent  a broadside  from  her  heavy 
guns  into  the  Merrimac,  at  short  range,  and  it  was 
thought  that  some  of  the  shot,  entering  her  port-holes, 


MERKIMAC  AND  MONITOR. 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION.  37 

damaged  her  machinery,  as  she  did  not  proceed  with 
the  attack. 

Night  was  coming  on  and  after  some  hesitation,  the 
Merrimac  steamed  to  her  anchorage  behind  Craney 
Island. 

The  darkness  that  settled  over  Hampton  Roads 
that  night  was  nothing  to  the  darkness  of  despair 
which  wrapped  the  hearts  of  the  fleet  in  its  pall  of 
gloom.  The  garrison  at  Newport  News  and  Fortress 
Monroe  could  be  dispatched  as  easily  as  the  Cumber- 
land had  been,  and  even  Washington  might  not  be  safe 
from  the  devastation  which  the  Merrimac  threatened. 
For  no  one  knew  whether  she  might  not  be  able  to 
ascend  the  Potomac.  In  an  hour  the  strength  of 
our  navy  and  coast  fortresses  had  crumbled  before 
this  single  iron-clad — mistress  of  the  high  seas. 

As  the  disastrous  news  was  flashed  over  the  wires 
through  the  North,  consternation  filled  all  hearts. 
No  one  knew  where  the  ravages  thus  begun  would  end. 
It  did  not  seem  improbable  that  this  single  vessel 
might  solve  the  problem  of  the  war  in  favor  of  slavery 
and  the  South  as  against  Union  and  liberty. 

At  about  ten  o’clock  on  that  eventful  Saturday 
night  the  anxious  garrison  at  Fortress  Monroe  descried 
a singular  looking  craft  approaching  from  the  sea, 
towed  by  two  small  steamers.  It  resembled  “ nothing 
in  the  heavens  above  or  the  earth  beneath  or  in  the 
waters  under  the  earth.” 

The  raft  proved  to  be  the  new  Ericsson  battery,  the 
Monitor,  in  tow  of  the  gunboats  Sachem  and  Curri- 
tuck. Only  twenty-four  inches  of  hull  were  visible 
above  the  water,  and  the  small,  round,  revolving  tur- 


88 


BATTLES  FOR  TUE  UN  JON. 


ret  nine  feet  high,  in  the  center  of  the  battery,  mounted 
only  two  guns.  Beside  her  big  adversary,  the  little 
Monitor  appeared  very  insignificant,  both  in  size  and 
armament — her  two  guns  being  pitted  against  the  ten 
carried  by  the  Merrimac. 

An  eye  witness  gives  the  following  vivid  description 
of  the  scenes  and  emotions  of  that  long-to-be-remem- 
bered Saturday  night : — 

“ That  morrow ! How  anxiously  we  waited  for  it ! 
how  much  we  feared  its  results ! How  anxious  our 
Saturday  eve  of  preparation ! At  sundown  there  was 
nothing  to  dispute  the  empire  of  the  seas  with  the 
Merrimac,  and  had  a land  attack  been  made  by  Ma- 
gruder  then,  God  only  knows  what  our  fate  would 
have  been.  The  St.  Lawrence  and  the  Minnesota 
aground  and  helpless,  the  Roanoke  with  a broken 
shaft — these  were  our  defenses  by  sea ; while  on  land 
we  were  doing  all  possible  to  resist  a night  invasion ; 
but  who  could  hope  that  would  have  much  efficiency  ? 
Oh ! what  a night  that  was ; that  night  I never  can 
forget.  There  was  no  fear  during  its  long  hours — 
danger,  I find,  does  not  bring  that — but  there  was  a 
longing  for  some  interposition  of  God  and  waiting  up- 
on Him  from  whom  we  felt  our  help  must  come,  in 
earnest,  fervent  prayer,  while  not  neglecting  all  the 
means  of  martial  defence  He  had  placed  in  our  hands. 
Fugitives  from  Newport  News  kept  arriving ; ladies 
and  children  had  walked  the  long  ten  miles  from 
Newport  News,  feeling  that  their  presence  only  em- 
barrassed their  brave  husbands.  Sailors  from  the 
Congress  and  Cumberland  came,  one  of  them  with  his 
ship’s  flag  bound  about  his  waist,  as  he  had  swum  with 


BATTLES  FUR  THE  VN  ION. 


89 


it  ashore,  determined  the  enemy  should  never  trail  it 
in  dishonor  as  a trophy.  Dusky  fugitives,  the  contra- 
bands came,  mournfully  fleeing  from  a fate  worse  than 
death — slavery.  These  entered  my  cabin  hungry  and 
weary,  or  passed  it  in  long,  sad  procession.  The 
heavens  were  aflame  with  the  burning  Congress.  The 
hotel  was  crowded  with  fugitives,  and  private  hospi- 
tality was  taxed  to  the  utmost.  But  there  were  no 
soldiers  among  the  flying  host ; all  in  our  camps  at 
Newport  News  and  camp  Hamilton  were  at  the  post 
of  duty,  undismayed,  and  ready  to  do  all  and  dare  all 
for  their  country.  The  sailors  came  only  to  seek 
another  chance  at  the  enemy,  since  the  bold  Cumber- 
land had  gone  down  in  the  deep  waters,  and  the  Con- 
gress had  gone  upward,  as  if  a chariot  of  fire,  to  con- 
vey the  manly  souls  whose  bodies  had  perished  in  that 
conflict,  upward  to  heaven.  I had  lost  several  friends 
there  ; yet  not  lost,  for  they  are  saved  who  do  their 
duty  to  their  country  and  their  God,  as  these  had  done. 
We  did  not  pray  in  vain. 

“ The  heavy  night  hung  dark  the  hills  and  waters  o’er,” 

but  the  night  was  not  half  so  heavy  as  our  hearts,  nor 
so  dark  as  our  prospects.  All  at  once  a speck  of  light 
gleamed  on  the  distant  wave ; it  moved  ; it  came 
nearer  and  nearer  and  at  ten  o’clock  at  night,  the 
Monitor  appeared.  1 When  the  tale  of  bricks  is  doub- 
led, Moses  comes.’  I never  more  firmly  believed  in 
special  providences  than  at  that  hour.  Even  skeptics 
were  converted  for  the  moment  and  said,  ‘ God  has 
sent  her !’  But  how  insignificant  she  looked ; she 
was  but  a speck  on  the  dark  blue  sea  at  night,  almost 


90 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


a laughable  object  by  day.  The  enemy  call  her  a 
cheese-box  on  a raft,  and  the  comparison  is  a good 
one.  Could  she  meet  the  Merrimac  ? The  morrow 
must  determine,  for  under  God,  the  Monitor  is  our 
only  hope.” 

Lieutenant  J.  L.  Worden  was  in  command  of  the 
Monitor,  and  reporting  to  the  flag-ship  Roanoke  on 
his  arrival  at  Fortress  Monroe,  received  orders  to  lay 
by  the  Minnesota  and  guard  her  in  case  of  a night 
attack. 

Sunday  morning,  March  ninth,  dawned  brightly 
over  the  serene  waters  of  the  Chesapeake,  and  shortly 
after  nine  o’clock,  the  Merrimac  with  her  retinue  of 
the  previous  day  was  seen  approaching  from  the  direc- 
tion of  Sewall’s  Point. 

Instantly  the  Monitor  put  herself  in  fighting  trim,, 
the  dead-light  covers  were  put  on,  the  iron  hatches 
closed,  and  the  officers  took  positions  at  their  several 
posts.  Lieutenant  Green  was  in  charge  of  the  gun' 
ners,  and  Chief  Engineer  Stimers  controlled  the  move-- 
ments  of  the  revolving  turret. 

The  mammoth  Merrimac  confidently  advanced  and 
opened  fire  upon  the  Minnesota ; but  before  a second 
broadside  could  be  delivered,  the  little  Monitor  steamed 
out  from  behind  the  grounded  vessel,  and  when  at  a 
distance  of  about  half  a mile,  the  order  to  fire  was 
given,  “The  gun  was  aimed,  the  huge,  iron  pendu- 
lum swung  aside,  the  men  sprang  to  the  gun-ropes,  a 
momentary  creaking  of  pulleys  was  heard,  then  a 
thundering  report  and  a solid  ball  weighing  a hundred 
and  seventy  pounds,  Tyas  hurled  against  the  mailed 
side  of  the  Merrimac.  The  Monitor  had  uttered  her 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION.  Qp 

maiden  speech,  and  it  was  a challenge  which  no  an- 
tagonist could  venture  to  disregard.” 

The  Merrimac  staggered  under  this  unexpected 
blow  and  pausing  in  her  attack  on  the  Minnesota, 
turned  her  attention  to  the  little  Monitor.  Immedi- 
ately, her  ten  terrible  guns  thundered  their  broadside 
against  her  diminutive  antagonist,  and  when  the 
smoke  lifted  and  revealed  the  turret  of  the  Monitor 
unharmed,  and  the  stars  and  stripes  still  gaily  floating 
aloft,  the  Merrimac  rushed  upon  her  to  ride  her  down 
as  she  had  done  the  Cumberland  and  Congress.  But 
a different  sort  of  craft  grappled  with  her  now  and  she 
found  a foeman  worthy  of  her  steel.  “ Reserve  your 
fire,”  said  Lieutenant  Worden  to  the  gunners,  “aim 
deliberately  and  do  not  lose  a shot.”  The  Merrimac 
struck  the  Monitor  at  full  speed,  but  caused  only  a 
slight  jar  to  the  staunch  little  craft,  as  the  iron  prow 
of  this  mailed  monster  glided  harmlessly  over  the 
nearly  submerged  hull  of  the  Ericsson  Battery.  The 
Merrimac,  however,  received  a severe  gash  as  the 
sharp  edge  of  the  Monitor  cut  her  coat  of  mail,  and  a 
bad  leak  was  the  result. 

The  contest  now  waxed  fierce  and  heavy  as  the  two 
vessels,  alternately  receding  and  approaching,  poured 
their  volleys  of  shot  into  each  other  in  rapid  succes- 
sion, while  the  smoke  of  the  terrible  battle  wrapped 
the  actors  in  a dark  and  impenetrable  cloud.  With 
“ muzzle  to  muzzle  they  hailed  their  heavy  metal  on 
each  others  sides.”  “ Flash  and  thunder-roar  burst 
forth  incessantly  from  the  tumultuous  maelstrom  of 
darkness,  and  solid  balls  weighing  a hundred  and 
seventy  pounds,  glancing  from  the  armor,  ricochetted 
over  the  water  in  all  directions  from  one  to  two  miles.” 


92 


BATTLES  FUR  THE  UNION. 


For  four  long  hours  this  terrible  duel  on  which  the 
safety  of  a nation  hung,  continued,  but  when  the 
smoke  of  battle  lifted,  it  revealed  the  Monitor  uninjured 
and  triumphant,  and  the  Merrimac  pierced  in  three 
places,  wounded  unto  death.  Compelled  to  signal  for 
help,  she  was  taken  in  tow  by  two  tugs  who  helped  the 
crippled  giant  back  to  Norfolk. 

Just  as  the  Merrimac  was  firing  her  last  shot  Lieu- 
tenant Worden  was  struck  prostrate  by  the  concussion 
of  a hundred-pound  shot,  which  hit  the  grating  just  in 
front  of  his  eyes,  filling  them  with  powder  and  minute 
fragments  of  iron.  When  he  “ revived  from  the  stun- 
ning blow  he  had  received,”  his  first  question  was, 
“Have  I saved  the  Minnesota?”  “Yes,”  was  the 
reply,  “and  whipped  the  Merrimac.”  “Then,”  he 
rejoined,  “ I care  not  what  becomes  of  me.” 

When  Lieutenant  Wise  visited  the  Monitor  after  the 
contest  was  ended,  every  thing  was  as  serene  on  board 
the  victorious  craft  as  though  nothing  had  happened. 
“ One  officer  stood  by  the  mirror  leisurely  combing  his 
hair,  another  was  washing  some  blood  from  his  hands, 
while  the  gallant  commander  lay  on  a settee  with  his 
eyes  bandaged,  giving  no  signs  of  the  pain  that  racked 
him.” 

Thousands  of  anxious  spectators  lined  the  shore 
from  Newport  News  to  Fortress  Monroe,  and  from  the 
Confederate  fortifications  across  the  James,  watching 
with  breathless  interest  the  furious  combat.  “ No 
tongue  can  tell  the  joy  which  thrilled  the  hearts  of  the 
National  troops  at  the  result.  Cheer  after  cheer  rose 
from  the  fleet  and  from  the  fortress,  and  rolled  like 
reverberating  thunder  along  the  shores  and  over  the 
bay.” 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


93 


The  Merrimac  had  rendered  her  last  service.  She 
never  recovered  from  the  fatal  blows  dealt  her  by  the 
guns  of  the  Monitor,  and  months  of  repair  did  not 
restore  her  usefulness.  But  the  brave  little  Monitor 
came  out  of  this  trial  of  fire  unscathed.  Of  all  the 
twenty-two  shot  which  had  struck  her  in  every  part, 
only  one  had  produced  a noticeable  indentation. 

This  one,  coming  in  contact  with  a huge  iron  beam, 
made  a deflection  in  the  beam  of  an  inch  and  a half. 
A slight  dent  on  the  outside  of  the  Monitor  was  the 
only  evidence  that  the  prow  of  the  Merrimac  had 
struck  her  in  a vain  attempt  to  ride  her  down. 

The  Rebels  published  no  official  account  of  the  losses 
on  board  the  Merrimac  in  this  encounter,  but  a state- 
ment was  made  in  the  Norfolk  Day  Book,  estimating 
their  loss  at  nine  killed  and  eleven  wounded.  The 
statement,  however,  was  contradicted  by  some  other 
Southern  journals.  Two  or  three  million  dollars 
worth  of  property  was  lost  to  the  Government  with 
the  Cumberland  and  Congress,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
loss  of  life. 

Considering  the  fact  that  the  construction  of  the 
Merrimac  was  known  for  months  previous  to  her  ap- 
pearance, and  that  an  accurate  description  of  her  was 
said  to  have  been  sent  the  War  and  Navy  Departments, 
by  General  Wool,  three  weeks  before  she  left  Norfolk, 
on  her  mission  of  destruction,  the  apathy  of  the  Naval 
Board  is  something  to  be  wondered  at.  But  the  dis- 
aster which  might  have  overtaken  the  nation  through 
their  negligence  was  happily  averted  by  the  private 
enterprise  which  launched  the  Monitor. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


3ST  33  "W  IB  E HFt  3>Cr  . 

The  City  and  its  Connections. — Rebel  Fortifications. — Assemblage  of 
Gunboats  at  Hatteras. — The  Advance  Down  Pamlico  Sound. — 
Slocum’s  Creek  Landing. — The  Long  March.  The  Forest  Camp 
Fires. — Attack  on  the  Outer  Fortifications. — Impetuous  Bravery 
of  Union  Troops. — Heroic  Charge  Through  an  Embrasure. — The 
Old  Flag  Floats  Over  the  Captured  Fort. — Entrance  into  New- 
bem.  Ten  o’clock  and  All  is  Well.  Battle  of  the  Fleet. — Brilliant 
Advance  of  the  Gunboats. — All  Difficulties  Conquered. — Victory 
and  its  Spoils. — The  Sabbath  Bells. 

NEWBERN  is  a city  of  about  five  thousand  inhabit- 
ants, situated  at  the  confluence  of  the  Neuse  and 
Trent  rivers  where  the  Neuse  makes  a broad  estuary 
before  entering  Pamlico  Sound.  It  is  connected  by 
rail  with  Goldsboro  and  Raleigh  on  the  west,  via  North 
Carolina  Rail  Road,  with  Beaufort  on  the  south,  and  is 
an  important  military  post.  The  Confederates,  appre- 
ciating this  fact,  had  constructed  in  its  defence  fortifi- 
cations of  such  strength  that  they  imagined  the  Union 
troops  had  but  to  come  within  range  of  their  batteries  to 
be  doomed  to  certain  destruction.  In  order  to  capture 
this  city  and  to  act  in  concerted  movement  with  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  General  Burnside  on  the  twelfth 
of  March,  1862,  had  collected  a formidable  fleet  and 
army  at  Hatteras  and  ordered  all  to  be  in  readiness 
to  start  that  night  at  the  appointed  signal.  He  deliv- 
ered a brief  and  stirring  address  to  the  soldiers,  ask- 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION.  95 

ing  their  best  efforts  in  this  perilous  enterprise,  and 
in  his  order,  he  said, 

“ The  General  commanding,  takes  pleasure  in  an- 
nouncing that  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  under  General 
McClellan,  is  now  advancing  upon  Richmond  and  was 
at  the  latest  dates  occupying  Centreville,  the  enemy 
having  evacuated  all  the  advanced  fortifications  before 
Manassas,  and  those  on  the  Potomac.  He  again  calls 
upon  his  command  for  an  important  movement  which 
will  greatly  demoralize  the  enemy  and  contribute  much 
to  the  success  of  our  brothers  of  the  Potomac  Army.” 

From  Hatteras  the  fleet  sailed  south-westward  down 
Pamlico  Sound,  entered  the  mouth  of  the  Neuse  and 
anchored  upon  the  western  bank  of  that  river,  within 
a few  miles  of  Newbern.  The  defences  of  Newbern 
unquestionably  had  been  well  planned  and  well  built. 
A line  of  water  batteries  commanded  the  river  and, 
reaching  inland,  connected  with  them,  were  field  for- 
tifications to  prevent  the  enemy  from  advancing  by 
shore.  Sis  miles  down  the  river  the  guns  of  the  lower 
fort  threatened  the  daring  intruder,  and  from  that 
point  back  to  the  city  there  extended  a continuous 
chain  of  forts  and  batteries.  Near  the  city  a fort 
mounting  thirteen  heavy  guns  and  bomb  proof,  was  so 
arranged  as  to  command  both  the  water  and  the  only 
land  approaches  on  that  side.  In  fact,  the  entire  area 
for  several  miles  before  the  city,  was  filled  with  forts, 
earthworks,  ditches,  rifle  pits,  and  all  the  other  me- 
chanical appliances  of  warfare. 

On  the  morning  of  the  thirteenth  the  troops  were 
landed  at  a point  called  Slocum’s  Creek,  sixteen  miles 
below  Newbern.  Abbott  gives  the  following  descrip- 


96 


BATTLES  FUR  THE  UNION. 


tion  of  the  landing: — “ The  barges  proceeded  in  reg- 
ular battle  array,  regiment  by  regiment,  towards  the 
shore,  every  man  ready  to  repel  an  assault,  and  the 
gunboats  in  the  meantime  shelling  every  spot  in  the 
vicinity  where  a foe  might  lurk.  The  men  wading 
through  the  water  held  their  muskets  and  ammunition 
under  their  arms  to  keep  them  dry.  The  barges 
grounded  in  the  shoal  water  sixty  yards  from  the 
shore.  It  was  truly  a picturesque  scene,  resembling  a 
frolic  rather  than  the  dread  realities  of  war,  to  see  five 
thousand  men  with  jokes  and  laughter  and  cheers, 
often  up  to  their  waists  in  water,  and  sometimes 
stumbling  over  some  obstruction,  all  eager  to  see  who 
would  be  the  first  to  land.  The  ground  was  marshy ; 
it  had  rained  violently  through  the  night ; the  path  led 
through  a fringe  of  forest  draped  in  the  funereal  weeds 
of  the  Spanish  moss.  The  wheels  of  the  guns  sank  in 
the  mire  and  were  dragged  along  with  much  difficulty. 
A cold  March  wind  swept  over  the  drenched  and  shiv- 
ering ranks,  and  notwithstanding  all  the  endeavors  to 
keep  up  good  cheer,  the  hours  were  dark  and  dreary. 
Much  of  this  suffering  might  have  been  and  should 
have  been  avoided.  One  of  the  vessels  contained  a 
floating  bridge  to  secure  the  landing  of  the  soldiers 
dry  shod.  But  the  eagerness  to  get  to  shore  very  un- 
wisely caused  this  precaution  to  be  neglected  or  for- 
gotten.” 

Until  mid-day  they  marched  along  the  marshy  river 
banks  without  meeting  the  foe  or  any  signs  of  one. 
At  about  that  time  however,  they  encountered  some 
cavalry  barracks,  bearing  evidence  of  very  hasty  leave- 
taking.  Breakfasts,  cooked,  yet  untasted,  were  left 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


97 


behind,  and  all  the  evidences  of  very  recent  occupancy 
were  strewn  about.  But  the  Federal  forces,  with  a 
great  struggle  in  anticipation,  did  not  stop  to  satisfy 
any  idle  curiosity  regarding  the  modus  operandi  of 
Rebel  cookery.  Steadily  they  pushed  onward,  filling 
the  road  in  a dense  column  two  and  a half  miles  in 
length, — the  Twenty-fourth  Massachusetts  leading  the 
van,  and  the  Eleventh  Connecticut  bringing  up  the 
rear. 

Suddenly,  the  order  to  halt  and  form  in  line  of  bat- 
tle brought  the  column  to  a stand.  Directly  in  front 
of  them  stood  a long  line  of  breastworks  and  batteries. 
A deep  ditch  extended  along  the  front,  and  the  flanks 
were  protected  by  an  abattis  of  felled  trees.  But,  as 
a reconnoitering  party  sent  forward  soon  learned,  the 
guns  to  this  extensive  fort  were  not  yet  mounted,  and 
peacefully  our  troops  entered  it  and  took  possession, 
raising  the  standard  of  Liberty  upon  its  ramparts. 
But  with  a march  of  yet  eight  miles  before  them,  and 
unknown  difficulties  to  overcome,  the  Union  troops, 
after  halting  a few  moments,  pressed  bravely  on. 
Many  dropped  by  the  wayside  utterly  overcome  with 
fatigue,  and  unable  to  go  one  step  farther.  Others 
lost  their  shoes  in  the  mire  and  went  forward  with 
torn  and  bleeding  feet.  A drizzling  rain  set  in  which 
kept  the  men  drenched  to  the  skin  and  added  greatly 
to  their  discomfort. 

Night  was  swiftly  approaching  when  a horseman 
from  Newbern  was  arrested  who  communicated  the 
news  that  Manassas  was  evacuated,  and  that  McClel- 
lan was  probably  in  hot  pursuit  after  the  retreating 
foe,  and  perhaps  on  his  way  to  Richmond.  At  this 


98 


BATTLES  FUR  THE  UNION. 


joyful  news,  cheer  after  cheer  broke  from  the  lips  of 
the  men,  and  stimulated  and  alert  they  resumed  their 
march.  At  six  o’clock  of  that  day  the  scouts  came 
in,  reporting  a line  of  rebel  fortifications  a mile  ahead. 
It  was  the  beginning  of  a rainy  twilight,  and  after  the 
weary  and  toilsome  day’s  march  through  the  rain, 
wading  oftentimes  through  mud  knee  deep,  the  order 
to  “ halt !”  which  now  sounded  through  the  ranks,  was 
most  welcome.  They  were  in  the  midst  of  a forest 
of  pine  trees,  and  on  either  side  of  the  road  thousands 
of  soldiers  threw  themselves  on  the  ground  for  rest 
and  sleep,  with  no  shelter  overhead  save  the  pine  trees 
and  the  clouds  of  a gloomy  night.  Some  of  them  had 
lighted  fires  of  the  resinous  pitch,  and  in  every  direc- 
tion the  flames  leapt  gaily  up  while  the  red  reflection 
fell  athwart  the  recumbent  forms  and  faces  of  the 
sleeping  soldiery,  lighting  up  the  whole  scene  with  a 
weird  and  picturesque  beauty. 

Seven  o’clock  of  the  next  morning  found  them, 
after  having  breakfasted,  once  more  on  the  march 
towards  Newbern.  General  Reno  with  the  First  Mas- 
sachusetts had  the  advance,  and  marched  by  the  side 
of  the  railroad  track  which  connects  Newbern  and 
Beaufort.  Slowly  along  the  river  the  gunboats 
steamed,  keeping  pace  with  the  marching  men  on 
the  shore.  Says  Abbott,  in  his  history  of  the  “ Civil 
War,”  “upon  turning  a curve  in  the  road,  they  came 
in  sight  of  a train  of  cars  which  had  just  come  down 
from  Newbern  with  reinforcements  for  the  Rebels. 
On  a platform  car  in  front  of  the  engine,  stood  a rifled 
cannon  in  position  to  rake  the  road.  The  Massachu- 
setts men  rushed  forward  at  the  double-quick  at  the 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


99 


same  time  pouring  in  such  a volley  of  bullets  upon  the 
foe  that  they  abandoned  everything  and  ran  for  the 
intrenchments.  The  troops  were  immediately  de- 
ployed in  line  of  battle  through  the  woods,  and  im- 
petuously commenced  an  attack  upon  the  formidable 
ramparts.  The  first  cannon  shot  from  the  rebel  bat- 
tery passed  through  the  body  of  Lieut.-Colonel  Henry 
Merritt,  of  the  Massachusetts  Twenty-third,  and  he 
fell  instantly  dead.  The  Tenth  Connecticut  under 
General  Foster,  a very  gallant  body  of  men,  occupied 
the  extreme  left,  and  under  the  most  discouraging  cir- 
cumstances of  position  maintained  the  renown  they 
had  acquired  at  Roanoke.  The  whole  line  extended 
more  than  a mile.  For  an  hour  the  battle  raged  in 
an  uninterrupted  storm  of  bullets  and  cannon  balls 
from  both  sides,  with  no  apparent  advantage  to  either.” 
A.s  the  battle  waxed  more  and  more  tierce,  our  men 
approached  to  the  very  muzzles  of  the  guns  of  the  ene- 
my’s breastworks,  until  Lieut.-Colonel  Clark  of  the 
Twenty-first  Massachusetts  made  a brilliant  dash  at 
the  head  of  four  companies,  and  rushed  full  tilt  on  the 
double-quick  through  one  of  the  embrasures. 

The  gunners,  astonished  at  such  daring,  fled  panic- 
stricken.  The  National  flag  was  waved  for  one  victo- 
rious moment  over  the  heroic  conquest,  but  as  they 
were  about  to  take  the  next  gun,  two  rebel  regiments 
swept  down  upon  them  and  compelled  them  to  retire. 
They  were  held  at  bay,  however,  only  for  a few  brief 
moments,  for  in  that  time  the  Rhode  Island  Fourth 
came  up  and  successfully  assaulted  the  same  spot,  thus 
opening  a door  to  victory  through  which  their  com- 
rades speedily  followed. 


100 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


The  charge  of  the  Fourth  Rhode  Island  led  by 
Colonel  Rodman,  was  said  to  be  heroic.  Directly 
fronting  them  a battery  of  five  guns  threatened  anni- 
hilation, and  in  close  proximity  another  battery  of  nine 
guns  presented  itself,  protected  behind  rifle  pits.  On 
the  double-quick  they  charged  directly  upon  the  deadly 
muzzles  of  these  five  guns,  firing  as  they  ran,  and 
rushing  through  the  parapet,  immediately  formed  in 
battle  array  and  successfully  charged  upon  the  remain- 
ing and  most  formidable  battery.  Thus  both  batteries 
and  two  flags  were  captured.  The  Eighth  and  Elev- 
enth Connecticut  and  Fifth  Rhode  Island  followed 
immediately  in  support,  and  the  ranks  of  the  enemy 
dissolved  before  their  victorious  entrance  like  banks 
of  fog  under  sunbeam  bayonets. 

Quickly  the  Union  standard  went  up  over  the  cap- 
tured works  and  then  came  a grand  charge  upon  the 
enemy’s  left  wing,  by  those  still  outside  the  breast- 
works. In  utter  confusion  and  headlong  panic  the 
Rebel  foe  was  routed.  With  wild  liuzzahs  the  Union 
forces  rushed  over  the  ramparts  discharging  their  fire- 
arms at  the  flying  grey-coats,  and  almost  immediately, 
over  every  bastion  of  the  captured  fort,  the  “ old  flag  ” 
flaunted  its  starry  folds  victoriously.  Cheer  after 
cheer  rent  the  air  from  the  exultant  troops  who  had 
so  heroically  won  the  hard-fought  and  bloody  field. 

Every  regiment  and  company  had  behaved  valiantly, 
— every  man  was  a hero.  The  Fifty-first  New  York, 
leading  the  charge  under  General  Reno,  won  a proud 
reputation  for  bravery  and  valorous  daring.  The 
Fifty-first  Pennslyvania  came  under  the  heaviest  fire 
without  wavering. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


101 


Inside  the  battery  the  dead  and  the  dying  commin- 
gled in  revolting  confusion  with  mangled  corpses,  dis- 
mounted guns,  broken  muskets,  and  stores  of  all  sorts, 
blood-stained  and  trampled  in  the  mire.  It  was  a 
sickening  spectacle  and  one  in  awful  contrast  to  the 
joyful  exultation  of  the  victors. 

But  Burnside  did  not  waste  a moment  of  precious 
time  in  rejoicing  over  the  spoils  of  victory  but  pressed 
on  towards  Newbern,  taking  advantage  of  the  panic  of 
the  enemy. 

Our  forces  pushed  rapidly  forward,  meeting  none  to 
contest  their  advance.  By  early  afternoon  they  had 
reached  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Trent  only  to  find  the 
magnificent  bridge  which  spanned  the  river  in  one  vast 
sheet  of  flames,  and  on  the  opposite  shore  the  city  in 
seven  different  localities,  broke  forth  in  conflagration. 
Both  the  railroad  and  county  road  bridge  were  fired 
as  also  a number  of  cotton  batteries.  Fortunately, 
two  small  steamers  were  found,  abandoned  by  the 
enemy,  and  with  these  General  Foster’s  corps  was 
ferried  across  the  river  and  took  possession  of  the 
nearly  deserted  city.  The  soldiers  speedily  extin- 
guished the  fires,  a provost  marshal  with  a strong 
guard  was  appointed,  and  before  nine  o’clock  at  night 
order  was  restored,  quietness  reigned,  and  at  ten 
o’clock  the  city  and  its  inhabitants  were  wrapped  in 
peaceful  slumbers.  It  was  a sleep  which  the  exhausted 
soldiers  needed.  The  colored  population  thinking 
their  hour  of  jubilee  had  come,  and  freed  from  the  re- 
straint which  forbids  a slave  to  be  abroad  on  the  street 
at  night,  wandered  about  the  city  until  a late  hour. 

On  the  fifteenth  the  following  special  order  was 
issued  : _ 


102 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


“ Head-Quarters,  Department  op  North  Carolina, 
Newbern,  March  loth,  1862. 

Special  Orders  No.  51. 

****** 

4th.  Brigadier-General  J.  G.  Foster  is  hereby  appointed  mili- 
tary governor  of  Newbern  and  its  suburbs,  and  will  be  obeyed 
and  respected  accordingly. 

Brigadier-General  J.  G.  Foster,  military  governor  of  Newbern 
will  direct  that  the  churches  be  opened  at  a suitable  hour  to- 
morrow in  order  that  the  chaplains  of  the  different  regiments 
may  hold  divine  services  in  them.  The  bells  will  be  rung  as 
usual. 

*****  * 

By  command  of  Brigadier-General 

A.  E.  BURNSIDE. 

Lewis  Richmond,  Assistant  Adjutant  General.” 

General  Burnside  also,  wisely  enough,  ordered 
every  liquor  cask  in  the  city  and  camp  to  be  staved. 

The  part  which  the  gunboats  performed  in  this  vic- 
tory was  not  small.  Commander  Rowan  in  charge  of 
the  fleet  proved  himself  most  efficient. 

The  river  was  full  of  obstructions,  the  shore  was 
bristling  with  batteries  ; but  he  conquered  every  diffi- 
culty. Led  by  the  flag  ship  Delaware  the  fleet  sailed 
away  to  win  a golden  fame.  Fort  Dixie,  mounting 
four  guns,  was  the  first  battery  to  contest  their  ad- 
vance, but  it  was  soon  silenced  by  Union  shot  and 
shell,  and  the  triumphant  battle-flags  were  planted 
upon  its  ramparts.  Here  the  gunners  caught  sight  of 
some  Rebel  cavalry  in  the  woods  behind  the  fort  and 
sent  over  a warm  salute  of  shells  which  dispersed 
them.  The  next  battery  encountered  was  Fort  Thomp- 
son, mounting  fifteen  guns.  This  also  was  effectually 
silenced  by  our  well-directed  shot,  its  garrison  scat- 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


103 


tered,  and  once  more  the  National  standard  waved 
defiantly  over  the  captured  redans.  The  men,  wild 
with  enthusiasm,  rent  the  air  with  their  cheers. 

Night  came  on  after  this  conquest,  and  hostilities 
were  suspended  until  the  nest  day.  The  morning  of 
Saturday,  the  fourteenth,  dawned  murky  with  a dense 
fog.  Soon,  however,  it  lifted  and  the  battle  of  the 
fleet  was  once  more  in  progress. 

Fort  Brown,  the  next  battery  encountered,  mounted 
two  immense  columbiads  and  protected  the  obstruc- 
tions in  the  channels.  In  the  right  hand  channel, 
twenty-four  vessels  interlacing  each  other  had  been 
sunk,  while  the  left  hand  channel  contained  heavy  up- 
right timbers  iron-pointed,  designed  to  impale  what- 
ever craft  might  pass  that  way,  at  which  point  also 
were  placed  a number  of  destructive  torpedoes. 

These  obstructions,  covered  by  Fort  Brown,  were 
next  in  order,  but  Commander  Rowan,  nothing  daunt- 
ed, ordered  the  boats  to  follow  his  lead,  and  they  suc- 
ceeded in  passing  the  impaling  timbers  and  entangling 
masts,  without  serious  injury.  Singularly  enough 
also,  a shot  from  one  of  the  gun-boats  entering  the 
embrasure  of  the  fort,  struck  one  of  the  columbiads 
directly  upon  the  muzzle,  dashing  it  from  its  carriage. 
The  gunners  fled  in  panic  and  consternation.  The 
fort  was  immediately  captured,  the  National  banner 
raised,  and  the  whole  fleet  passed  on  to  the  capture  of 
the  next  battery,  Fort  Ellis,  mounting  nine  guns. 
Here  the  dispersed  Rebels  had  gathered  for  a last  des- 
perate effort  and  for  a time  the  carnage  went  on 
fiercely  enough.  But  a shell  from  the  gunboats  ex- 
ploded the  magazine  of  the  fort,  and  when  the  smoke 


104 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


lifted,  none  but  the  dead  and  the  dying  were  there. 
The  next  battery,  Fort  Lane,  was  abandoned  without 
firing  a shot,  and  the  brilliant  passage  was  completed 
triumphantly,  the  fleet  anchoring  before  the  city  just 
as  the  land  troops  entered  it. 

In  this  grand  advance  of  the  gunboat  fleet  to  New- 
born, the  navy  lost  not  a single  man. 

One  or  two  individual  instances  of  the  coolness  and 
daring  with  which  our  men  passed  through  this  mael- 
strom of  war  and  death  may  be  related. 

Lieutenant  Fearing,  of  Burnside’s  staff,  seated  on 
his  horse,  was  standing  in  conversation  with  a looker- 
on.  A thirty-two  pound  shot  whizzed  between  his 
horse’s  legs,  causing  scarcely  a halt  in  the  conversa- 
tion, the  Lieutenant  merely  bending  over  to  see  that 
his  horse  was  all  right  and  making  no  allusion  to  the 
danger. 

At  another  time  during  the  battle,  when  a handful 
of  men  made  a heroic  dash  through  an  embrasure 
and  two  Rebel  regiments  charged  down  upon  them, 
Captain  J.  D.  Frazer  from  a severe  wound  in  the 
right  arm  was  compelled  to  drop  his  sword.  But  with 
his  left  hand  he  seized  the  fallen  weapon,  continued 
the  fight,  and  endeavored  to  extricate  himself  from 
the  surrounding  enemy.  Stumbling,  he  fell  and  wras 
taken  prisoner,  a guard  of  three  being  placed  over 
him.  A few  moments  after,  when  the  Fourth  Rhode 
Island  made  their  brilliant  and  successful  charge, 
rescued  at  their  hands,  Captain  Frazer  in  turn  cap. 
tured  the  three  Rebel  guards  placed  over  him  and  es- 
corted them  to  the  Union  ranks. 

In  this  victory  our  loss  was  eighty  killed  and  two 
hundred  and  ninety  wounded. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


105 


Six  forts,  thirty-four  heavy  guns,  six  steamboats, 
and  two  million  dollars  worth  of  public  property  were 
captured.  The  Rebel  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  was 
about  the  same  as  ours.  The  National  sharp-shooters 
kept  up  such  an  accurate  fire  that  the  Confederate  in- 
fantry after  loading  behind  the  ramparts,  raised  their 
guns  over  their  heads  and  fired  almost  at  random,  thus 
throwing  many  of  their  bullets  away.  The  capture  of 
Newbern  made  the  final  reduction  of  Beaufort  and 
Fort  Macon  -sure,  and  also  made  Burnside  commander 
of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 


CHAPTER  X. 


WINCHESTER. 

Topography  of  the  Battle-Ground. — General  Banks’  Occupation  of 
Winchester. — Stonewall  Jackson’s  Attack. — Disposition  of  Forces. — 
The  Battle. — Unwavering  Firmness  of  Union  Troops. — Heroic 
Defence  of  the  National  Colors  by  the  Fifth  Ohio. — “ ’Tis  sweet  for 
One’s  Country  to  Die.” — The  Enemy  put  to  Rout. — Stonewall 
Jackson  in  Retreat. — A Night  of  Sleep  After  a Day  of  Battle. — 
Kernstown. — Sheridan’s  Ride. 

IN  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  fertile  portions  of 
Virginia,  lying  between  the  Blue  Ridge  and  North 
Mountains  and  extending  from  the  head  waters  of  the 
Shenandoah  River  near  Staunton  to  its  confluence 
with  the  blue  Potomac,  is  situated  the  far-famed 
Valley  of  the  Shenandoah.  From  Strasburg  a spur 
of  the  mountain  chain  called  the  Massanutten  range 
divides  the  valley  southward  for  a distance  of  fifty 
miles  and  abruptly  ends  near  Harrisburg. 

Strasburg  commands  the  head  of  the  western  divi- 
sion which  this  range  creates,  and  Front  Royal  the 
eastern,  while  Winchester,  distant  from  Strasburg 
about  twenty  miles,  holds  the  key,  in  a military  sense, 
to  the  entire  Valley.  This  ancient  town,  known  in 
colonial  times  as  Fort  Loudon,  is  less  than  thirty 
miles  from  the  Potomac  River,  and  is  a center,  out 
of  which  well-made  turnpikes  diverge  towards  Rom- 
ney, Shcppardstown,  Martinsburg,  Charlestown,  and 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION.  JQ7 

Berryville,  and  also  towards  Centreville  through 
Battletown. 

On  March  twelfth,  1862,  General  Banks  occupied 
Winchester  with  his  advance  force,  Stonewall  Jackson 
having  abandoned  the  place  on  the  same  day.  Jack- 
son  marched  towards  Staunton  in  order  to  cover  the 
operations  of  the  Southern  foe  in  that  vicinity,  and 
also  to  protect  the  road  leading  from  this  part  of  the 
Valley  to  Gordonsville,  the  main  force  of  the  Con- 
federates having  retreated  to  that  point.  On  the 
seventeenth  of  March,  General  Shields  left  Winchester 
with  his  command  to  pursue  the  enemy  towards  Stras- 
burg,  but  returned  on  the  twentieth,  having  been 
overtaken  by  the  enemy  near  Middletown,  between 
whom  and  the  Union  troops  a sharply  contested 
skirmish  took  place.  The  division  of  General  Wil- 
liams— one  half  of  Banks’s  command — moved  towards 
Battletown  at  the  same  time  that  the  reconnoitering 
party  under  Shields  returned  to  Winchester. 

Supposing  the  whole  army  of  Banks  was  marching 
to  re-inforce  McClellan,  Stonewall  Jackson  determined 
to  attack  our  forces  at  Winchester,  to  prevent  if  pos- 
sible the  expected  movement.  Accordingly,  by  forced 
marches  from  Mount  Jackson,  forty-five  miles  below 
Winchester,  he  reached  Strasburg  and  from  thence 
advanced  to  the  little  village  of  Kernstown,  within 
three  miles  of  Winchester.  This  was  on  Saturday  the 
twenty-second,  and  at  half  past  two  on  the  afternoon 
of  that  day  the  Rebel  advance  appeared  in  front  of  the 
Union  pickets. 

J ackson  had  with  him  four  regiments  of  infantry, 
assisted  by  Ashby’s  cavalry,  which  was  discovered  to 


108 


BATTLES  FOR  TUE  UNION. 


be  steadily  advancing  in  the  woods  on  both  sides  of 
the  Strasburg  turnpike,  where  the  Eleventh  Indiana 
was  also  picketed.  The  Union  troops  then  fell  back, 
pursued  by  the  Rebel  cavalry,  and  occasionally  facing 
about  to  fire  upon  the  enemy.  General  Shields,  in 
command  of  the  division,  ordered  four  companies  of 
infantry  and  a battery  of  artillery  to  the  support  of 
the  Fourteenth  Indiana  until  his  force  could  be  brought 
forward  and  formed  in  line  of  battle.  While  direct- 
ing the  battery,  Shields  received  a wound  in  the  arm 
from  a splinter  of  a shell,  but  remained  on  the  field 
until  dark,  when  the  troops  began  to  arrive.  Both 
armies  bivouacked  for  tbe  night,  the  enemy  not  seem- 
ing anxious  to  press  the  engagement.  To  General 
Shields,  awaiting  the  return  of  Williams’  troops  to 
reenforce  him,  this  suspension  of  hostilities  was  not 
unwelcome.  But  Williams  did  not  arrive  on  the  battle- 
field until  after  the  action  had  commenced,  on  the 
next  day. 

At  eight  o’clock  on  the  morning  of  the  twenty- 
third,  the  enemy  opened  the  conflict  with  four  guns, 
receiving  a reply  of  six  guns  from  the  Union  troops, 
after  which  reenforcements  for  both  batteries  came 
up.  The  fire  from  the  enemy’s  guns  was  so  well 
directed  and  so  effective  that  the  Union  general  com- 
manding determined  to  take  the  battery  by  storm  ; for 
which  purpose  the  infantry  columns  of  the  First  and 
Second  brigades  were  massed  for  an  attack  upon  the 
enemy’s  left.  The  brigade  of  Kimball  was  on  the 
right,  that  of  Tyler  in  the  center  and  Sullivan  on  the 
left,  with  General  Kimball  in  command  of  the  entire 
force — General  Shields  being  disabled  on  account  of 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


109 


the  wound  received  the  day  before.  The  enemy's 
center  was  a little  to  the  left  of  the  turnpike  at 
Kernstown  village,  his  left  wing  extending  a mile  and 
three-quarters  west  of  the  road,  and  his  right  wing 
one  mile  to  the  cast  of  it.  A mud  road  branches  from 
the  turnpike  at  this  point  and  runs  to  the  right  over 
Cedar  creek.  Here  the  enemy’s  left  center  was 
placed,  beyond  which  was  a grove  of  trees,  and  farther 
yet  a ridge  of  hills  crowned  by  a stone  wall,  breast 
high.  General  Tyler  moved  his  column  on  the  mud 
road  until  within  two  hundred  yards  of  the  stone  wall, 
when  he  received  a murderous  lire.  But  bravely  and 
without  wavering  the  Union  troops  rushed  forward 
until  within  fifteen  yards  of  the  stone  wall  barricade, 
when  the  order  to  fire  was  obeyed  with  such  vigor 
that  the  enemy  fell  back  across  the  fields  in  conster- 
nation, unmasking  in  their  retreat  two  six-pound 
guns.  The  cannister  from  these  guns  made  great 
gaps  in  the  Union  lines  but  did  not  check  the  brave 
advance  of  our  heroic  men,  though  death  faced  them. 
One  gun  was  captured  with  its  caisson,  but  almost 
immediately  two  more  brass  pieces  were  unmasked 
by. the  enemy  and  were  so  destructive  that  our  troops, 
forced  to  give  way,  upset  the  captured  gun  and  left  it. 
At  this  point  in  the  conflict,  the  Fifth  Ohio  and  Eighty- 
fourth  Pennsylvania  formed  in  line  of  battle  and 
charged  with  the  bayonet.  It  was  a terrific  encounter, 
and  in  its  maelstrom  of  blood  and  death,  the  Fifth  Ohio 
Regiment  five  times  within  the  space  of  a few  minutes 
lost  its  color-bearer.  When  the  first  standard-bearer 
sank  to  the  soil,  a sacrifice  to  the  enemy’s  bullets, 
another  brave  soldier  rushed  forward,  caught  up  the 


110 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNI  OX. 


starry  banner  of  liberty  and  unfurled  its  folds  tri- 
umphantly to  the  breeze.  Scarcely  had  his  hand 
grasped  the  staff  of  the  old  flag  when  he,  too,  fell  in 
the  sacred  cause.  A third  and  a fourth  and  a fifth 
one  shared  the  same  fate,  heroically  rushing  to  this 
ill-fated  post  of  death.  And  thus  at  such  terrible  cost 
of  life  the  old  flag  was  kept  floating  victoriously.  But 
now,  the  struggling  troops  so  desperately  engaged 
were  to  have  help  from  their  comrades  in  arms.  The 
Fourteenth  and  One  Hundred  and  Tenth  Indiana  Regi- 
ments advanced  at  the  quick  to  support  them,  and  the 
enemy  fell  back  leaving  the  captured  gun  behind. 
Now,  however,  at  seven  o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  the 
firing  gradually  lessened  and  the  enemy  retreated, — 
our  pursuing  cavalry  capturing  about  two  hundred 
prisoners. 

That  night  the  Union  troops  slept  upon  the  field  of 
their  victory  and  in  the  morning  went  in  pursuit  of 
the  enemy.  But  the  routed  Rebels  would  not  fight, 
and  retired  on  being  attacked  by  our  troops.  The 
Union  forces  in  consequence,  rejoined  the  command 
of  Banks,  who  arrived  from  Harper’s  Ferry  at  nine 
o’clock  on  the  morning  of  the  twenty-fourth. 

Thus  ended  the  battle  of  AYinchester,  made  doubly 
famous  by  the  defeat  of  Stonewall  Jackson  and  as  the 
historic  ground  from  which  afterwards,  in  1804,  Phil 
Sheridan,  on  his  black  charger,  performed  that  glori- 
ous ride  to  Cedar  Creek,  afterwards  immortalized  by 
T.  Buchanan  Read,  by  which  he  reversed  the  tide  of 
battle  and  made  ‘dark  defeat’  become  a ‘glorious 
victory,’ 

*******“  because 

The  sight  of  the  master  compelled  it  to  pause.” 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


Ill 


The  Union  loss  in  this  battle,  to  which  Southern 
chroniclers  give  the  name  of  Kernstown,  was  one 
hundred  and  thirty-two  killed,  five  hundred  and  forty 
wounded,  and  forty-six  missing.  The  loss  of  the 
enemy  was  estimated  to  he  nine  hundred,  of  whom 
two  hundred  and  thirty-six  were  prisoners.  Two  guns 
and  four  caissons  were  also  captured. 

The  enemy  had  been  reenforced  at  ten  o’clock  Sun- 
day morning  by  General  Garnett,  and  claimed  a force 
of  six  thousand,  half  of  which  only  was  engaged. 
The  command  of  General  Shields  numbered  eight 
thousand. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


FALMOUTH  HEIGHTS. 

General  McDowell  in  Command  of  the  Army  of  Virginia. — Advance 
to  Bristoe  and  Falmouth. — Harris  Light  Leading  the  Advance. — 
Sudden  Fire  on  the  Van-guard. — Furious  Charge  upon  the  Rebel 
Cavalry. — Death  of  Lieutenant  Decker. — His  Comrades  Avenge 
His  Death. — The  Enemy  Scattered  Like  Chaff  Before  the  Whirl- 
wind.— Outposts,  Stores  and  Provisions  Captured. — A Loyal 
Southern  Citizen  Greets  the  Old  Flag. — Plan  for  a Night  Attack 
on  Falmouth. — Brilliant  Capture  of  the  Place  by  Kilpatrick. 


HEN  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  transferred 


M to  the  Peninsula  in  the  Spring  of  18G2,  the  troops 
left  in  front  of  Washington  were  denominated  the 
Army  of  Virginia.  General  McDowell  commanding 
this  force  advanced  to  Bristoe  in  the  early  part  of 
April,  and  on  the  seventeenth  of  that  month,  detaching 
General  Auger  with  a brigade  of  Infantry  and  two 
regiments  of  Cavalry,  directed  him  to  proceed  to  Fal- 
mouth, a small  village  on  the  Rappahannock,  opposite 
the  City  of  Fredericksburg,  with  instructions  to  oc- 
cupy the  latter  place  if  possible. 

The  author’s  regiment,  the  Harris  Light  Cavalry, 
had  the  advance  and  was  followed  by  the  Fourteenth 
Brooklyn.  As  our  Infantry  comrades  became  foot- 
sore and  fatigued,  we  exchanged  positions  with  them 
for  mutual  relief  until  at  last  one-half  of  the  two  reg- 
iments were  bearing  each  others’  burdens.  This  inci- 


BATTLES  FUR  THE  CM  OX. 


113 


dent  paved  the  way  for  a strong  friendship  between 
the  Harris  Light  and  Fourteenth  Brooklyn.  I cannot 
call  to  mind  in  the  course  of  my  military  experience, 
a more  novel  sight  than  that  of  those  gallant  Brook- 
lyn boys  mounted  upon  our  horses,  while  we  marched 
by  their  side  carrying  their  muskets ; they  amusing 
us  with  their  knowledge  of  horsemanship  and  we  es- 
saying to  show  them  that  we  were  not  wholly  ignor- 
ant of  the  evolutions  of  infantry. 

Seventeen  miles  were  quietly  traveled  when  a sud- 
den fire  on  our  advance-guard  brought  every  cavalry 
man  to  his  horse  and  infantry  man  to  his  musket. 
Everything  assumed  the  signs  of  a fight.  Kilpatrick, 
who  was  in  command  of  the  regiment,  ordered  his 
band  to  the  rear.  This  precaution  of  the  commander 
was  no  sooner  taken  than  the  van-guard  in  command 
of  Lieutenant  George  Decker  made  a furious  charge 
upon  Field's  Cavalry  which  was  doing  outpost  duty  ten 
miles  from  Falmouth. 

On  the  very  first  assult  Lieutenant  Decker  fell  from 
his  horse,  pierced  through  the  heart  with  a fatal  bul- 
let. The  fall  of  this  gallant  young  officer  was  much 
lamented  by  his  associates  of  the  Harris  Light.  His 
death,  however,  shocking  as  it  was  to  the  command, 
only  seemed  to  nerve  the  men  for  bold  revenge.  Like 
chaff  before  the  whirlwind  the  outpost  was  quickly 
scattered,  and  the  whole  regiment  entered  upon  its 
first  charge  with  a will, — a charge  which  continued 
for  several  miles  with  wild  excitement.  Picket  re- 
liefs and  reserves  were  swept  away  like  forest  trees 
before  the  avalanche,  and  we  fell  upon  their  encamp- 
ment before  time  had  been  afforded  them  for  escape. 


114 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


Here  we  captured  several  men  and  horses  with  large 
quantities  of  stores,  and  then  rested  our  tired  steeds 
and  fed  them  with  Confederate  forage.  The  men  en- 
joyed the  captured  rations.  It  was  nearly  night,  and 
as  the  sun  disappeared  the  infantry  force  came  up  to 
our  newly-possessed  territory. 

The  cavalry  was  ordered  to  “ stand  to  horse  ” and 
a strong  picket  was  thrown  out  to  prevent  any  sur- 
prise attack  or  flanking  movement  of  the  enemy.  In 
the  early  part  of  the  evening  one  of  our  pickets  was 
surprised  by  the  friendly  approach  of  a citizen  of 
Falmouth  who  had  come,  as  he  said,  to  “ hail  once 
more  the  ‘ old  star-spangled  banner  ’ and  to  greet  his 
loyal  brethren  of  the  North.” 

Such  a patriotic  and  fearless  individual  among  the 
white  population  of  that  section  of  country  was  a 
great  rarity  and  his  protestations  of  friendship  were 
at  first  received  with  some  suspicion.  He  was,  how- 
ever, brought  to  General  Auger’s  headquarters,  where 
he  gave  satisfactory  proof  of  his  kind  intentions,  and 
then  gave  the  General  a full  description  of  the  posi- 
tion and  strength  of  the  enemy. 

A plan  for  a night  attack  was  thereupon  laid  and 
committed  to  Bayard  and  Kilpatrick. 

Our  instructions  were  conveyed  to  us  in  a whisper. 
A beautiful  moonlight  fell  upon  the  scene  which  was 
as  still  as  death  ; and  with  a proud  determination 
the  two  young  cavalry  chieftains  moved  forward  to 
the  night’s  fray.  Bayard  was  to  attack  on  the  main 
road  in  front,  but  not  until  Kilpatrick  had  commenced 
operations  on  their  right  flank  by  a detour  through  a 
neglected  and  narrow  wood-path.  As  the  Heights 


FALMOUTH  HEIGHTS. 


BATTLES  FUR  THE  UNION. 


117 


were  considered  -well  nigh  impregnable  it  was  neces- 
sary to  resort  to  some  stratagem,  for  which  Kilpatrick 
showed  a becoming  aptness. 

Having  approached  to  within  hearing  distance  of 
the  Rebel  pickets,  but  before  we  were  challenged,  Kil- 
patrick shouted  with  his  clear  voice,  which  sounded 
like  a trumpet  on  the  still  night  air : 

“ Bring  up  your  artillery  in  the  centre  and  infantry 
on  the  left  !” 

“Well,  but,  Colonel,”  replied  an  honest  though 
rather  obtuse  captain,  “ we  haven’t  got  any  inf — 

“ Silence  in  the  ranks  !”  commanded  the  leader. 
“ Artillery  in  the  centre,  infantry  on  the  left !” 

The  pickets  caught  and  spread  the  alarm,  and  thus 
greatly  facilitated  our  hazardous  enterprise. 

“ Charge  !”  was  the  order  which  then  thrilled  the 
ranks,  and  echoed  through  the  dark  dismal  woods, 
and  the  column  swept  up  the  rugged  Heights  in  the 
midst  of  blazing  cannon  and  rattling  musketry.  So 
steep  was  the  ascent  that  not  a few  saddles  slipped  off 
the  horses,  precipitating  their  riders  into  a creek 
which  flowed  lazily  at  the  base  of  the  hill,  while  oth- 
ers fell  dead  and  dying  struck  by  the  missiles  of  de- 
struction which  at  times  filled  the  air.  But  our  first 
field  was  won ; and  the  enemy  driven  at  the  point  of 
the  sabre,  fled  unceremoniously  down  the  Heights, 
through  Falmouth,  and  over  the  bridge  which  spanned 
the  Rappahannock,  burning  the  beautiful  structure 
behind  them  to  prevent  pursuit. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


PITTSBURG-  IjA-Kmilia-. 

The  Log  Cabin  Church. — Buell’s  March  from  Nashville. — The  Union 
Camp  Surprised. — The  Rude  Awakening. — Sleep  Exchanged  for 
Death. — Rally  of  the  Boys  in  Blue. — Slaughter  from  the  Woods. — 
Stand  on  the  Corinth  Road. — The  Brave  Resistance. — The  Wave 
of  Rebellion  Hurled  Back. — Six  Hours  of  Magnificent  Fighting. — 
A Glorious  Record. — Wallace  Falls. — The  Impregnable  Line. — 
Tyler  and  Lexington  Gunboats. — Death  of  Confederate  Johnston. — 
Buell  Reaches  the  Landing. — Last  Day’s  Fight. — Capture  of  Field 
Peices. — Confederates  in  Retreat. — Splendid  Victory. — Harvest  of 
Death. 

A small  log  cabin  named  Shiloh  Church,  on  the 
western  bank  of  the  Tennessee  River,  about  twenty 
miles  north  of  Corinth,  Mississippi,  divides  with  Pitts- 
burg Landing  the  honor  of  transmitting  its  name  to 
the  bloody  engagement  fought  here,  April  sixth,  1862. 

Early  in  March  this  movement  up  the  Tennessee 
was  projected,  and  Major-G-eneral  C.  P.  Smith,  with 
his  command,  occupied  Savannah  on  the  eleventh. 
Savannah  is  ten  miles  above  Pittsburg  Landing  and 
consequently  about  thirty  miles  from  Corinth.  For 
strategic  reasons  General  Smith  removed  his  troops 
to  Pittsburg  Landing — a movement  which  General 
Grant  approved,  on  his  arrival  there  the  latter 
part  of  March.  It  was  designed  to  make  the 
Tennessee  River  a base  of  operations  and  cut  off 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


119 


communication  between  West  Tennessee  and  tlie 
Eastern  and  Southern  States.  General  Buell  at 
Nashville  with  the  Army  of  the  Ohio,  was  directed  to 
co-operate  with  Grant  in  the  expected  movement. 
This  being  suspected  by  the  Rebels,  they  determined 
to  attack  Grant  at  Pittsburg  Landing  before  he  could 
be  re-inforced  by  Buell.  Beauregard  held  a strong 
force  at  Corinth  to  which  were  added  the  two  divis- 
ions under  General  Polk  from  Columbus,  and  the 
corps  of  General  Bragg  from  Pensacola. 

General  Albert  Sidney  Johnston,  chief  in  command 
at  Corinth,  on  April  third  issued  an  address  to  his 
army,  and  an  order,  dividing  it  into  three  corps, — the 
first  under  General  Polk,  the  second  under  Bragg  and 
the  third  under  Hardee ; while  General  Crittenden 
was  assigned  to  a reserve  consisting  of  two  brigades. 

Of  this  force,  numbering  about  fifty  thousand  men, 
General  Johnston  was  chief  and  Beauregard  second 
in  command.  On  April  fifth,  the  army  of  West 
Tennessee,  under  General  Grant  at  Pittsburg  Land- 
ing, comprised  five  divisions — Major-General  Mc- 
Clernand,  Brigadier-General  W.  H.  L.  Wallace,  Ma- 
jor-General Lewis  Wallace,  Brigadier-General  Hurl- 
but  and  Brigadier-General  W.  T.  Sherman  command- 
ing respectively. 

The  division  of  General  Lew  Wallace  was  six  miles 
below  Pittsburg  Landing  at  a place  known  as  Crump’s 
Landing,  while  the  rest  of  the  Union  forces  remained 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  Shiloh  log  church. 

Twenty  miles  away,  Buell’s  forces  were  slowly  ap- 
proaching, the  condition  of  the  roads  greatly  impeding 
their  progress.  In  hourly  expectation  of  their  ar- 


120 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION.1 


rival,  the  army  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Tennessee 
awaited  them.  Occupying  the  ground  between  Owl 
Creek  and  Lick  Creek — two  streams  which  run  at 
right  angles  to  the  Tennessee,  three  miles  apart — the 
Union  command  was  arranged  as  follows  : Sherman’s 
division  held  the  extreme  right,  resting  on  Owl  Creek, 
about  three  miles  from  the  Landing,  McClernand’s 
division  was  next,  the  sub-division  of  McClernand’s 
command  under  Prentiss,  came  next  on  the  left,  rest- 
ing on  Lick  Creek,  three  miles  from  the  Tennessee, 
while  the  division  of  W.  H.  L.  Wallace  acted  as  a 
support  to  Sherman  and  McClernand,  and  Hurlbut 
supported  the  left  wing  under  Prentiss.  In  addition 
to  this  force,  several  gun-boats,  among  which  were  the 
Tyler  and  Lexington,  were  anchored  off  the  Landing 
ready  to  assist  with  their  broadsides  of  shot  and  shell, 
whenever  the  tide  of  battle  called  them  into  action. 

On  the  morning  of  the  third,  Johnston’s  troops 
were  marching  from  Corinth  towards  the  Tennessee, 
but  did  not  reach  the  neighborhood  of  the  Federal  posi- 
tion until  the  evening  of  the  fifth.  The  Confederate 
force  was  formed  in  three  parallel  lines  will  an  interval 
of  eight  hundred  yards  between  the  first  and  second 
line,  the  corps  of  Polk  forming  the  third  line  in  col- 
umns of  brigades.  Breckenridge  held  the  reserves, 
and  batteries  were  placed  in  the  rear  of  each  brigade. 
General  Hardee  commanded  the  first  line  which  ex- 
tended from  Owl  Creek  on  the  left,  to  Lick  Creek  on 
the  right.  Bragg  was  in  command  of  the  second  line. 

At  six  o’clock  on  the  morning  of  the  sixth,  the 
Confederate  advance  suddenly  drove  in  the  pickets  of 
Prentiss’  corps.  The  Union  camp,  not  yet  awakened 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


121 


from  sleep,  was  surprised  by  the  enemy  who  rushed 
upon  them  firing  as  they  came  and  charging  with  the 
bayonet.  Then  ensued  a scene  of  panic  and  heart- 
rending confusion.  Union  soldiers  rushed  from  their 
tents,  weaponless,  hatless  and  coatless,  towards  the 
river,  and  many  were  shot  dead  on  the  way  ; others 
quietly  exchanged  the  rosy  sleep  of  life  for  the  pallid 
repose  of  death,  pierced  with  a fatal  bullet  before  their 
eyes  unclosed  to  behold  the  dawn.  Others,  it  is  said, 
surrendered  only  to  be  shot  on  the  spot.  Officers 
wounded  and  left  for  dead  in  their  tents,  were  found ' 
two  days  afterwards,  yet  alive  to  tell  the  sickening 
tale,  though  suffering  untold  agonies.  The  sub-divi- 
sion of  Prentiss  and  Hildebrand’s  brigade  of  Sher- 
man’s division  were  thus  driven  by  the  enemy,  but  the 
remainder  of  Sherman’s  division  sprang  to  their  arms 
and  formed  in  line  barely  in  time  to  receive  the  ad- 
vancing legions  of  the  Confederates  and  partially 
check  their  terrible  onset.  This  movement  enabled 
them  to  retire  to  a ridge  in  their  rear — the  key-point 
of  the  Landing — where  by  their  firmness  they  repelled 
every  attempt  of  the  enemy  to  turn  their  flank.  By 
this  time  the  whole  army  was  aroused  to  the  peril  of 
the  attack,  and  McClernand  soon  formed  his  right  to 
sustain  Sherman.  The  corps  of  Prentiss  was  partially 
rallied  in  an  open  space  surrounded  by  scrub  oaks, 
from  which  the  Confederates  concealed  there,  slaugh- 
tered them  without  mercy.  General  Prentiss  with  two 
entire  regiments  were  taken  prisoners  and  the  sub- 
division was  disorganized.  The  division  of  W.  LI.  L. 
Wallace  now  pressed  forward  to  support  Stuart  of 
Sherman’s  division,  but  lost  its  way  and  was  repulsed. 


122 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


McClernand  was  compelled  to  withdraw  liis  brigades 
in  support  of  Sherman,  in  order  to  protect  his  left 
against  a furious  charge  by  the  enemy.  Two  new 
regiments,  the  Fifteenth  and  Sixteenth  Iowa,  were 
brought  into  action,  but  the  heavy  firing  proved  too 
much  for  these  raw  troops  and  they  gave  way  in  con- 
fusion. Our  batteries  were  placed  in  position  along 
the  Corinth  road,  and  the  division  changed  front  so  as 
to  face  on  that  highway.  They  defended  it  handsomely 
until  ten  o'clock,  but  at  that  time  the  enemy  rushed 
through  the  gap  between  the  lines  of  McClernand  and 
Sherman,  with  the  evident  intention  of  turning  Mc- 
Clernand’s  right.  Dresser’s  Battery  of  rifled  guns 
dealt  them  terrible  slaughter  as  they  passed,  but  their 
great  numbers  and  the  constant  arrival  of  fresh  troops 
overwhelmed  McClernand’s  division  until  at  last  our 
forces  began  to  fall  slowly  back,  fighting  bravely  with 
well  ordered  resistance  as  they  retired.  An  occasional 
rally  and  repulse  of  the  enemy  varied  the  order  of 
their  retreat.  Our  batteries  were  broken  and  several 
guns  lost,  and  the  disorganized  brigades  and  divisions 
fell  to  the  rear.  In  some  instances  patched-up  reg- 
iments were  brought  to  the  front. 

The  left  and  center  of  our  line  on  the  Corinth  road 
had  been  shattered,  and  at  twelve  o’clock  none  but 
the  forces  of  Hurlbut,  Wallace,  and  Sherman  stood 
between  our  army  and  destruction. 

Major  General  Lew  Wallace  was  to  flank  the  enemy 
in  case  of  an  attack,  by  marching  across  from  Crump’s 
Landing,  but,  directed  by  a circuitous  route,  he  did 
not  arrive  on  the  battle-field  until  the  fight  for  the  day 
was  ended. 


BATTLES  FOR  TIIE  UNION. 


123 


Tlie  commands  of  ETurlbut  and  Wallace  mean-while 
sustained  with  perfect  firmness  the  mad  onsets  of  the 
enemy.  Their  overwhelming  numbers,  like  a vast, 
living  wave,  swept  against  the  solid  columns  of  our 
troops  only  to  fall  back  with  repulse  and  slaughter. 
It  was  the  sea  of  Rebellion  dashing  against  the  rocks 
of  Union  and  Liberty.  Thrice  did  the  fresh  troops  of 
the  enemy  hurl  themselves  against  our  jaded  and 
exhausted  boys  only  to  be  thrice  sent  back  in  dismay 
and  death. 

The  wave  broke  at  our  feet  but  did  not  engulf  us. 
The  skill  of  the  enemy  was  something  to  be  admired. 
Again  and  again  a rush  on  our  lines  failed,  but  as 
quickly  as  the  enemy’s  forces  were  hurled  back,  their 
broken  divisions  were  taken  to  the  rear  and  new  attack- 
ing lines  formed  of  fresh  troops.  For  six  hours  was 
this  unequal  contest  waged.  For  six  hours  did  those 
noble  men  face  the  foe  with  heroic  resistance. 

Into  those  six  hours  was  crowded  a record  of  mag- 
nificent fighting,  than  which  there  could  be  none 
braver  or  more  glorious. 

Oh,  patriots  true ! with  brows  now  crowned  with 
the  victor’s  laurels,  we  thank  you  for  revealing  to  us 
such  sublime  heights  of  human  nature  ! 

At  last,  retreat  was  imperative,  and  the  two  divi- 
sions of  W.  H.  L.  Wallace  and  Hurlbut  fell  back  to 
within  half  a mile  of  the  Landing.  At  this  fatal  mo- 
ment the  brave  Wallace  fell,  and  was  borne  from  this 
field  of  glory  and  of  death.  It  was  now  four  o’clock 
in  the  afternoon,  and  exhausted  by  ten  hours  of  almost 
continuous  fighting,  there  was  a lull  in  the  storm  of 
battle. 


124 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


General  Grant  made  good  use  of  this  opportunity. 
A new  line  was  formed  on  the  right  by  Sherman, 
which  was  prolonged  to  the  left  by  re-formed  brigades 
and  regiments  from  the  remaining  divisions  of  the 
army,  Avliile  Colonel  Webster,  Grant’s  Chief  of  Artil- 
lery, arranged  the  remaining  batteries  in  a semicircle 
on  the  left,  in  order  to  pour  a concentrated  fire  upon 
the  enemy,  massing  in  this  direction.  The  Tyler 
and  Lexington  gunboats  moved  up  to  the  mouth  of  Lick 
Creek  and  brought  their  guns  within  range  of  the 
enemy,  a half  mile  away. 

The  intelligence  that  Nelson’s  division,  constituting 
the  advance  of  Buell,  had  reached  the  eastern  bank  of 
the  Tenncsee  and  would  soon  cross  to  their  assistance, 
greatly  cheered  our  exhausted  troops.  “ Suddenly,  at 
about  five  o’clock  the  enemy  burst  upon  the  Union  left 
only  to  be  swept  down  by  steady  volleys  of  musketry 
and  the  withering  fire  of  the  batteries.  To  add  to 
their  consternation  the  huge  guns  of  the  Tyler  and 
Lexington  ploughed  into  their  ranks. 

“Again  and  again  did  the  Rebels  attempt  to  break 
through  the  circle  of  fire  within  which  the  Union  army 
stood  at  bay.  The  position  seemed  impregnable. 
Disappointed  and  disheartened  they  at  length  retired 
at  nightfall,  and  the  battle  for  the  day  was  over.” 
Sometime  before  this,  General  Grant  had  issued  orders 
to  his  division  commanders  to  prepare  to  assume  the 
offensive  at  an  early  hour  in  the. morning. 

During  the  battle  of  that  day,  the  Confederate  Gen- 
eral Albert  Sidney  Johnston  was  killed,  his  death 
resulting  from  a small  wound  under  the  knee,  which 
severed  an  artery.  He  was  in  his  saddle,  when  one 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


125 


of  his  aids,  observing  his  blood- stained  uniform  in- 
quired if  he  was  wounded.  “ Only  a scratch,”  the 
General  replied,  but  the  next  moment  he  reeled  in  his 
seat  and  fell  dying  into  the  arms  of  his  officers. 

His  boot  was  filled  with  blood  and  the  life  current  still 
ebbed  rapidly  away  from  the  mortal  hurt.  Johnston’s 
exhausted  troops  slept  that  night  on  their  arms,  and 
Beauregard,  now  in  command,  established  his  head- 
quarters at  Shiloh  church,  hoping  some  delay  would  pre- 
vent the  arrival  of  Buell,  who,  he  knew,  was  on  the  march 
for  the  scene  of  battle.  Our  gunboats  bombarded  the 
Rebel  forces  during  the  night,  compelling  them  to  re- 
tire a short  distance  from  their  position.  In  the  midst 
of  a drenching  rain-storm  -which  set  in  during  the 
night,  General  Buell  arrived.  He  had  reached  Savan- 
nah on  the  evening  of  the  fifth,  General  Nelson  lead- 
ing the  advance.  Firing  being  heard  from  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Landing  on  the  morning  of  the  sixth,  Buell 
ordered  the  division  in  the  rear  to  leave  their  trains 
and  hurry  forward. 

Nelson’s  command  was  marched  to  the  Tennessee 
opposite  Pittsburg  Landing,  their  guns  were  ordered 
to  be  carried  by  steamboat,  and  late  on  the  sixth,  Buell 
himself  arrived  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Tennessee. 

During  that  night,  through  the  rain  and  darkness, 
Nelson’s  division  crossed  the  river  and  occupied  the 
left  of  the  Union  line.  The  commands  of  General  T. 
L.  Crittenden  and  McCook  quickly  followed,  and 
were  posted  on  the  left-center  and  center,  the  veterans 
of  the  sixth  occupying  the  right-center  and  right. 
General  Lew  Wallace  having  arrived  with  his  com- 
mand on  the  night  of  the  sixth,  held  the  extreme  right. 


126 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


The  battle  of  the  seventh  was  opened  by  Wallace. 
Some  Rebel  batteries  directly  in  his  front  were  shelled, 
and  under  cover  of  this  fire  the  right  wing  advanced 
some  distance.  Wallace  at  one  time  was  obliged  to 
send  to  Sherman  for  aid,  but  at  last  the  Rebels  were 
pushed  back  and  obliged  to  retire  from  the  hotly  con- 
tested ground. 

On  the  left,  Nelson’s  division  advanced  so  rapidly 
as  to  expose  its  right  flank  and  was  forced  to  retire 
until  Boyle’s  Brigade  of  Crittenden’s  division  re-in- 
forced  him.  With  this  addition  to  his  force,  Nelson 
once  more  advanced,  driving  the  enemy,  capturing  his 
batteries  and  taking  possession  of  an  eminence  in  the 
extreme  front.  Between  eight  and  nine  o’clock,  he 
encountered  a well-supported  battery  of  the  enemy. 
Smith’s  brigade — between  Crittenden’s  left  and  Nel- 
son’s flank — dashed  forward  and  for  a short  time  the 
battle  was  hot  and  close  and  the  discharge  of  musketry 
furious  ; but  the  enemy  fled  and  our  boys  captured 
three  field  pieces — a twelve  pound  howitzer  and  two 
brass  six-pounders.  Around  these  guns  the  roar  of 
battle  surged  with  terrific  force.  Then  came  a solid 
line  of  Rebel  infantry  sweeping  up  to  the  captured 
battery.  The  commands  of  Nelson  and  Crittenden 
caught  its  full  force  and  partially  fell  back,  but  taking 
a fresh  stand,  faced  the  enemy  and  held  their  ground. 
The  batteries  of  Mendenhall  and  Bartlett  now  began 
shelling  the  Confederate  ranks,  which  obliged  the  en- 
emy to  fall  back. 

“ A gallant  charge  secured  the  contested  battery 
wdiile  the  Rebels  retreated  towards  the  left.  Smith 
and  Boyle,  holding  the  infantry  well  in  hand,  Menden- 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


127 


liall  again  got  their  range  and  poured  in  shot  and  shell 
on  the  new  position.  The  enemy’s  line  now  commenced 
a retrograde  movement,  which  both  Nelson  and  Crit- 
tenden vigorously  pushed.  The  brigade  of  Wood  ar- 
rived soon  after  and  joined  in  the  pursuit,  and  the 
left  was  safe.” 

The  center,  meantime,  under  McCook,  had  driven 
the  enemy  to  the  woods  after  a sharp  fight. 

About  two  o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  upon  the  ar- 
rival of  Buell’s  fresh  troops,  the  Confederates  com- 
menced a general  retreat.  A stand  was  made  by 
them  at  the  distance  of  eight  hundred  yards  and 
their  artillery  was  opened  upon  us  ; but  Crittenden 
drove  them  and  captured  a battery.  On  the  succeed- 
ing day  General  Sherman  pursued  the  retreating  col- 
umns of  the  enemy,  capturing  a Rebel  cavalry  camp 
and  a quantity  of  ammunition  ; but  owing  to  almost 
impassable  roads,  our  pursuit  soon  terminated.  Cloth- 
ing, accoutrements  and  small  arms  marked  the  course 
of  the  flying  Rebels. 

Beauregard  placed  his  loss  at  one  thousand,  seven 
hundred  and  twenty-eight  killed,  eight  thousand  and 
twelve  wounded,  and  nine  hundred  and  fifty-nine 
missing.  The  Union  loss  was  one  thousand  six  hun- 
dred and  fourteen  killed,  seven  thousand  seven  hun- 
dred and  twenty-one  wounded,  and  three  thousand 
nine  hundred  and  sixty-three  missing. 

On  the  ninth,  Beauregard  sent  a flag  to  General 
Grant  asking  permission  to  bury  their  dead,  but 
Grant  replied  that  the  dead  of  both  armies  were  al- 
ready buried.  This  Golgotha  received  the  woful  num- 
ber of  three  thousand  three  hundred  and  forty-two. 

6 


128  BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 

Two  years  after  the  battle,  in  refutation  of  hostile 
criticism,  General  Sherman  published  a voluntary 
statement  vindicating  Grant’s  management  of  the 
battle  of  the  sixth.  General  Grant  in  turn,  speaks  in 
the  highest  terms  of  Sherman’s  services  on  that  day, 
stating  that  it  was  to  his  individual  efforts  he  was  in- 
debted for  the  success  of  that  battle. 

Thus  another  field  of  renown  was  added  to  the  list, 
so  rapidly  increased  during  those  years,  where  valor 
won  deathless  laurels,  and  principle  was  reckoned 
weightier  than  life. 

Peacefully  the  Tennessee  flows  between  its  banks 
onward  to  the  ocean,  nor  tells  aught  of  the  bloody 
struggle  on  its  shore.  Quietly  the  golden  grain  ri- 
pens in  the  sun,  and  the  red  furrow  of  war  is  sup- 
planted by  the  plowshares  of  peace.  To  the  child 
born  within  the  shadow  of  this  battle-field,  who  listens 
wonderingly  to  a recital  of  the  deeds  of  this  day,  the 
heroes  of  Shiloh  will,  mayhap,  appear  like  the  dim 
figures  of  a dream,  shadowy  and  unreal,  but  the  re- 
sults they  helped  to  bring  about  are  the  tissue  of  a 
people’s  life,  the  dust  he  treads  is  the  sacred  soil  from 
which  sprang  the  flowers  of  freedom,  and  the  institu- 
tions for  which  these  men  died,  make  his  roof  safe 
over  his  head. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


WIIjIjIA.MSBUR.G. 

Battle  of  Williamsburg. — Scene  of  the  Battle. — Historic  Monuments. — 
College  of  William  and  Mary. — Washington  and  Patrick  Henry. — 
Amusing  Inscriptions  on  Tombstones. — The  Battle  Opens. — At- 
tack of  General  Hooker. — Approaches  to  Fort  McGruder. — Bravery 
of  Kearney. — Gallantry  of  General  Heintzelman.— Defeat  and  Re- 
treat of  the  Enemy. 

WILLIAMSBURG,  the  scene  of  one  of  the  most 
sanguinary  struggles  of  the  Peninsular  campaign, 
was  for  many  years  the  seat  of  government  as  well  as 
the  most  important  town  in  the  colonial  history  of 
Virginia.  Captain  John  Smith  laid  the  foundation 
of  Jamestown  in  the  year  1607  ; and  this  was  for 
more  than  eighty  years  the  center  of  influence  and 
authority  in  the  colony.  But  in  1697  the  principal 
officers  of  the  government  removed  to  Williamsburg, 
which  is  four  miles  from  Jamestown. 

Of  Jamestown,  once  and  for  ever  famous  as  a land- 
mark in  the  early  annals  of  American  history,  noth- 
ing now  remains  but  the  tower  of  an  ancient  church 
and  its  broken  walls  which  cast  their  shadows  over 
the  graves  of  many  of  the  most  distinguished  pioneers 
of  the  Old  Dominion.  Williamsburg  was  chosen  as 
the  capital  of  the  colony  on  account  of  the  greater 
healthfulness  of  the  climate.  Some  of  the  most  in- 


130 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


teresting  monuments  of  the  State  are  to  be  found 
here  ; among  them  the  College  of  William  and  Mary. 
This  institution  was  founded  by  King  William  and 
his  Queen  Mary,  and  endowed  by  them  with  a thous- 
and acres  of  land,  with  duties  on  fur  and  skins,  and 
one  penny  per  pound  on  all  tobacco  exported  from 
Maryland  and  Virginia.  The  fame  of  this  college  is 
augmented  by  the  fact  that  many  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished of  Virginia’s  sons,  including  Washington, 
Jefferson,  Patrick  Henry,  and  Madison,  received  their 
educational  training  within  its  walls.  The  college  it- 
self and  several  antiquated  monuments  which  stand 
adjacent,  together  with  residences  of  the  olden  style 
give  to  Williamsburg  a decided  English  aspect.  On  a 
beautiful  square  fronting  the  college  may  be  seen  the 
statue  of  Lord  Botetourts,  one  of  the  colonial  gover- 
nors ; and  though  considerably  mutilated,  may  still 
be  regarded  an  excellent  specimen  of  sculpture.  He 
appears  in  the  flowing  robe  of  his  time,  with  the  ap- 
pendage of  a short  sword  hanging  at  his  side.  The 
inscription  cut  in  bold  quaint  letters  on  the  pedestal 
of  the  monument  reads  : 

“The  Eight  Honorable  Norbome  Berkley  Baron  de  Bote- 
tourts, His  Majesty’s  late  Lieutenant  and  Governor-General  of 
the  Colony  and  Dominion  of  Virginia.  Deeply  impressed  with 
the  warmest  sense  of  gratitude  for  his  excellences,  prudent  and 
wise  administration,  and  that  the  remembrance  of  those  many 
public  and  social  virtues, which  so  eminently  adorned  his  illus- 
trious character,  might  be  transmitted  to  posterity,  the  General 
Assembly  of  Virginia  on  the  twentieth  day  of  July,  Anno 
Domini,  1771,  resolved,  with  one  united  voice,  to  erect  this 
statue  to  his  Lordship’s  memory.  Let  wisdom  and  justice  pre- 
side in  any  country  and  the  people  must  and  will  be  happy.” 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 


131 


The  old  capitol  in  which  Patrick  Henry  started  in 
his  brilliant  career  as  the  great  and  unrivalled  orator 
of  Virginia,  has  crumbled  to  the  dust,  and  nothing 
save  a few  scattered  bricks  is  left  to  mark  the  spot 
whereon  it  stood.  It  was  in  the  halls  of  this  same 
building  that  Washington  was  complimented  by  the 
speaker  of  the  House  of  Burgesses  after  the  close  of 
his  distinguished  career  in  the  French  and  Indian 
war.  The  hero  was  lauded  for  his  valor  and  for  the 
honor  which  he  had  conferred  upon  his  native  State. 
Stammering  and  bewildered  the  young  colonel  stood 
in  the  presence  of  the  venerable  aristocracy  and  was 
greatly  relieved  by  the  timely  command  of  the  speaker, 
“ Sit  down  Colonel  Washington ; your  modesty  is 
equal  to  your  valour  and  that  surpasses  the  power  of 
any  language  that  I possess.” 

In  the  year  1736  the  first  newspaper  published  in 
Virginia  was  issued  at  Williamsburg.  It  was  a sheet 
twelve  inches  long  by  six  inches  wide,  and  its  dawn 
was  regarded  as  an  important  event  in  the  journalism 
of  the  day.  The  publication  of  this  primitive  sheet 
was  continued  until  swallowed  up  in  the  Revolution, 
which  it  helped  to  inaugurate  by  espousing  the  cause 
of  the  patriots. 

I regret  to  learn  from  history  that  public  schools 
and  printing  presses  were  looked  upon  with  suspicion 
and  jealously  by  the  early  authorities  of  Virginia. 
Sir  William  Berkley,  at  one  time  honored  with  the 
title  and  clothed  with  the  dignity  of  Governor,  by 
His  Majesty  King  George  III.,  thanked  God  that  there 
were  no  more  free  schools  or  printing  presses  within 
the  limit  s of  his  rule  and  hoped  that  these  should  not  be 


132 


BATTLES  FOR  THE*  UNION. 


known  for  a hundred  years  to  come,  and  in  accordance 
with  his  real  or  pretended  fancies,  put  down  the  first 
printing  press  established  in  Virginia  in  1682.  Prom- 
inent among  the  interesting  monuments  of  the  past, 
is  the  old  English  Church  and  its  adjoining  grave- 
yard where  rests  the  bones  of  many  of  the  gover- 
nors, judges  and  military  heroes  who  are  distinguished 
in  the  early  history  of  the  colony.  The  inscriptions 
on  most  of  the  tombstones  are  peculiar  to  the  times 
in  which  they  had  their  origin,  and  to  the  present 
generation  seem  ludicrous  and  amusing.  Rev.  J.  J. 
Marks,  D.D.,  who  participated  in  the  Peninsular  Cam- 
paign and  who  visited  Williamsburg  the  day  after  the 
battle,  transcribes  the  following  inscription  from  a 
slab  which  among  others  arrested  his  attention  on  ac- 
count of  its  quaint,  eccentric  style. 

“ Near  this  monument  lies  the  body  of  the  Honorable  David 
Parke,  of  ye  county  of  Essex,  Esq.,  who  was  of  the  magistrates 
of  the  county  eleven  years,  and  sometime  Secretary  of  the  do- 
minion of  Virginia.  He  dyed  ye  6th  of  March,  Anno  Domini 
1679.  His  other  felicityes  weare  crowned  by  his  happy  marriage 
with  Rebecca,  the  daughter  of  George  Evelyn,  of  the  co.  of 
Surry,  Esq.  She  dyed  ye  2nd  day  of  January,  Anno  1672,  at 
Long  Diton,  co.  Surrey,  and  left  behind  her  a most  hopeful 
progeny.” 

Thus  it  may  be  seen  that  to  the  intelligent  soldier 
and  the  student  of  history,  the  field  of  Williamsburg 
is  one  of  more  than  ordinary  interest.  Having 
glanced  at  the  scene  of  conflict  which  gives  name  to 
the  battle,  let  us  take  a look  at  the  forces  which  are 
marshaled  for  the  contest. 

The  bloodless  and  fruitless  siege  of  Yorktown  has 
terminated ; and  the  Rebels,  whether  from  motives 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


133 


of  interest  or  necessity,  have  decided  to  seek  a new 
base  of  operations  nearer  their  capital.  The  plains 
of  Williamsburg  seem  to  be  the  chosen  field  and  Fort 
McGruder  the  back-bone  of  their  new  line  of  defense. 

At  two  o’clock  in  the  afternoon  of  Monday,  May 
the  fifth,  General  McClellan,  commanding  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac,  found  the  enemy  in  position  for  battle 
at  Lee’s  Mill,  two  miles  east  of  Williamsburg.  After 
the  usual  preliminaries  of  skirmishing,  General  Joseph 
Hooker,  leading  the  advance,  was  instructed  to  make 
an  attack  ; and  now  opened  one  of  the  most  sangui- 
nary battles  of  the  Peninsular  Campaign.  The  advan- 
tage of  position  was  clearly  in  favor  of  the  enemy, 
whose  fortifications  completely  covered  the  almost 
impassable  approaches  to  the  field.  The  Federal 
troops  were  compelled  to  march  over  a narrow  strip 
of  land,  on  either  side  of  which  were  creeks  and 
swamps,  in  order  to  reach  the  open  plains  in  front  of 
Williamsburg.  Fort  McGruder,  a fortification  of 
considerable  magnitude  and  occupied  by  the  enemy, 
commanded  this  road.  Nothing  but  the  most  invin- 
cible and  undaunted  bravery  on  the  part  of  officers 
and  men,  enabled  General  Hooker  with  his  division 
of  but  eight  thousand  to  fight  and  hold  in  check  an 
army  of  twenty  thousand,  which  was  hurled  against 
him  repeatedly  at  this  point.  Column  after  column 
was  thrown  against  his  right,  left  and  center,  but  as 
the  crag  beats  back  the  blast,  so  this  intrepid  soldier 
reformed  his  shattered  ranks  and  pressed  forward 
and  still  forward  until  dark  defeat  became  a gloi'ious 
victory.  Hooker  on  this  occasion  exhibited  that  nerve 
and  unwavering  courage  which  has  since  made  his 


134 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


naine  immortal  and  given  him  the  highest  position  in 
the  American  army.  For  hours  this  general  fought 
the  combined  forces  of  McGruder,  Hill  and  Longstreet, 
and  held  his  own  until  Kearney  and  Heintzelman  were 
ordered  forward  to  his  support. 

A great  want  of  ability  and  penetration  on  the  part 
of  McClellan  seems  to  have  characterized  the  opening 
of  this  engagement ; and  the  army  and  country  will 
wonder,  until  the  future  has  explained,  why  Hooker 
was  allowed  to  struggle  alone  in  the  early  part  of  the 
battle. 

Coming  to  the  relief  of  Hooker,  the  chivalrous 
Kearney,  never  outdone  in  deeds  of  bravery,  here 
performed  one  of  those  daring  feats  which  made  him 
the  idol  of  his  division,  and  which,  under  the  eye  of 
the  great  Napoleon,  would  have  been  rewarded  with 
the  “ Cross  of  the  Legion  of  Honor.’’  With  the  pur- 
pose of  disclosing  to  his  command  the  concealed 
position  of  the  enemy,  he  called  the  officers  of  his 
staff  together,  dashed  out  into  the  open  field  and  rode 
leisurely  along  the  entire  line.  Five  thousand  guns 
belched  forth  their  death-dealing  missiles,  bullets  fell 
around  them  like  hail,  two  of  his  aids  and  three 
orderlies  fell  dead  at  his  side,  and  before  he  reached 
the  end  of  his  perilous  ride,  he  found  himself  almost 
alone.  By  this  daring  exploit  he  was  enabled  to 
accomplish  his  object  of  discovering  the  position  and 
strength  of  the  enemy  ; then  riding  back  to  his  divi- 
sion, he  shouted,  “ You  see  my  boys  where  to  fire  ! ” 
Kearney  now  held  his  own  until  General  Hancock 
came  up  and  by  a flank  movement  forced  the  enemy 
to  retire  to  his  fortifications. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


135 


On  the  evening  of  the  fifth,  the  Rebels  withdrew 
from  their  works  and  continued  their  retreat  towards 
Richmond,  and  on  the  following  morning  General 
McClellan  at  the  head  of  his  victorious  army  marched 
triumphantly  through  Williamsburg  in  pursuit  of  the 
retreating  foe. 


CHAPTER  XI Y. 


SEVEN  PINES. 

The  Preliminaries  of  Battle. — Cannonading  and  Picket-firing. — Vig- 
orous Attack  of  the  Confederates. — Undaunted  Bravery  of  the 
Unionists. — General  Casey  Unjustly  Censured. — Testimony  of  the 
Enemy. — Incidents  of  the  Battle-field. — Sufferings  of  the  Wounded. 
— The  First  Night  after  Battle. 

THE  battle  of  Seven  Pines  opened  somewhat  disas- 
trously to  the  Union  Army.  Cannonading  and 
picket-firing  had  been  kept  up  so  continuously  that  it 
was  difficult  to  know  when  a battle  was  in  progress. 
Suddenly,  while  our  troops  were  at  dinner,  the  enemy 
made  a vigorous  attack  upon  our  picket  lines,  which 
unfortunately  were  not  more  than  eighty  rods  in 
advance  of  our  camps. 

The  retreating  pickets  were  vigorously  pursued 
into  camp,  and  in  an  instant  the  artillery  and  musketry 
of  the  Rebels  brought  our  forces  to  a realization  of 
the  fact  that  no  idle  thunder  or  blank  cartridges 
aroused  them  from  their  coffee.  From  every  quarter, 
long  lines  of  the  enemy  rushed  out  of  the  forest  into 
the  open  field,  and  with  a wild  yell  peculiar  to  the 
Southern  soldier,  charged  the  advanced  battalions  of 
General  Casey’s  division.  Several  regiments  jumped 
into  line  and  stood  their  ground  until  half  of  their 
number  strewed  the  plain.  All  the  artillery  horses 
were  killed  and  the  captured  guns  were  turned  upon 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 


137 


them.  General  Casey  now  fell  back  a few  hundred 
yards,  and  reforming  his  little  division,  again  defied 
the  onset  of  the  enemy.  And  here  for  three  hours 
less  than  six  thousand  men  fought  and  held  in  check 
a force  of  twenty  thousand  ; for  the  command  of  Gen- 
eral Casey  at  the  opening  of  the  engagement  did  not 
exceed  eight  thousand  men,  and  two  thousand  of  their 
number  were  placed  hors  de  combat  in  the  first  attack ; 
thus  crippled,  the  division  had  to  sustain  for  so 
long  a period  this  unequal  contest,  which  would  have 
defeated  and  demoralized  less  brave  and  determined 
soldiers. 

It  was  thought  for  some  time  in  military  circles, 
that  General  Casey’s  defense  was  not  so  resolute  as  it 
should  have  been ; but  to  his  credit  be  it  said,  that  the 
enemy,  who  is  not  expected  to  be  over  generous  in 
the  bestowal  of  praise  upon  a foe,  spoke  in  the  highest 
terms  of  his  bravery,  and  said  that  his  troops  fought 
as  well  as  they  had  ever  known  fresh  and  undisciplined 
regiments  to  fight,  and  that  they  met  from  them  a far 
more  vigorous  resistance  than  they  had  anticipated. 
They  said  that  the  position  of  General  Casey  was  one 
of  the  greatest  peril.  Thrown  in  advance  of  Hooker 
and  Kearney  three  miles,  if  they  threw  against  him 
a large  force  it  was  almost  impossible  to  reinforce  him 
in  time  to  prevent  defeat.  That  they  had  expected  to 
cut  his  division  to  pieces,  and  before  reinforcements 
could  possibly  arrive  drive  back  the  shattered  regi- 
ments to  bear  with  them  consternation  and  panic. 

But  so  far  from  this  being  realized,  the  unyielding 
firmness  of  tins  division  prevented  their  cutting 
through  our  left  wing,  capturing  a part  and  demoral- 


138  BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 

izing  the  whole ; for  it  held  out  against  them  until 
reinforcements  came  up.  It  was  a gratification  to 
hear  this  vindication  of  General  Casey,  and  to  see 
him  relieved  of  those  charges  which,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, were  so  unjust  and  painful. 

The  first  night  after  a battle  is  always  filled  with 
indescribable  horrors.  Men  in  their  death  struggles 
begging  for  a cup  of  water ; shivering  under  the  knife 
of  the  surgeon  as  he  amputates  their  mangled  limbs  ; 
or  praying,  perhaps,  that  they  may  be  spared  to  see 
their  native  hills  once  more,  and  the  loved  ones  at 
home. 

Rev.  J.  J.  Marks,  from  whom  we  have  previously 
quoted  and  who  was  Avith  the  Union  Army  at  Seven 
Pines,  thus  describes  the  events  which  follo\red  the 
battle.  “ During  the  entire  night  the  Avounded  were 
brought  in  until  they  covered  the  grounds  around  the 
house  of  Mr.  Savage,  and  filled  all  the  out-houses, 
barns,  and  sheds. 

“ Lying  alongside  of  our  wounded  men,  were  many 
Confederate  soldiers  and  officers  ; and  to  the  honor  of 
our  men  be  it  said,  I heard  no  words  of  anger  or  re- 
proach, but  the  Rebels  were  uniformly  treated  as 
kindly  as  the  Union  soldiers. 

“ All  night  the  surgeons  were  occupied  in  amputa- 
tions, and,  under  the  circumstances,  they  found  it 
impossible  to  attend  to  many  whose  condition  required 
food  and  stimulants. 

“ Wounded  men  suffer  greatly  from  cold  and  shiver 
as  in  winter,  or  with  an  ague.  It  was  therefore  essen- 
tial to  lift  them  from  the  damp  ground  and  cover  them 
as  far  as  possible. 


BA  TTLF.S  FOR  TIIE  UN: OX. 


139 


“ In  the  course  of  the  evening  twenty  or  thirty  sol- 
diers from  different  regiments,  who  had  borne  in  upon 
their  shoulders  their  wounded  comrades,  permitted  me 
to  organize  them  into  a corps  of  nurses.  Colonel 
M’Kelvy,  than  whom  no  man  was  more  active  for  the 
relief  of  our  men,  furnished  twenty  bales  of  hay,  a 
thousand  blankets,  and  permitted  me  to  draw  on  the 
Commissary  Department  for  coffee,  sugar,  and  crack- 
ers to  an  indefinite  amount.  The  nurse-soldiers  soon 
spread  down  this  hay  and  many  a shivering  wounded 
man  when  lifted  from  the  damp  earth  and  placed  upon 
the  soft  grass  bed  with  a blanket  spread  over  him, 
poured  out  his  gratitude  in  a thousand  blessings. 
When  this  was  done  we  followed  with  hot  coffee,  and 
found  our  way  to  every  suffering  man.  Everywhere 
we  were  compelled  to  place  our  feet  in  streams  of 
blood ; one  spectacle  of  anguish  and  agony  only  suc- 
ceeded another.  The  mind  was  overwhelmed  and 
benumbed  by  such  scenes  of  accumulated  misery. 
Where  there  was  so  much  to  be  done,  and  where  we 
could  do  so  little,  the  temptation  was  to  hurry  away 
from  such  painful  spectacles,  and  remember  them  only 
as  the  visions  of  a frightful  di’eam.  Great  must  be 
the  cause  which  demands  such  a sacrifice.  Here  and 
there  over  the  grounds  were  seen  through  that  night 
a circle  of  lanterns  moving  around  the  tables  of  ampu- 
tators.  Every  few  moments  there  was  a shriek  of 
some  poor  fellow  under  the  knife,  and  one  after  an- 
other the  sufferers  were  brought  forward  and  laid 
down  before  the  surgeons  on  stretchers,  each  waiting 
his  turn. 

“And  then  again  one  with  face  as  white  as  marble, 


140 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


and  every  line  telling  that  he  had  passed  through  a 
suffering,  the  utmost  which  human  nature  could  en- 
dure, was  borne  away  and  laid  down  for  some  kind- 
hearted  man  to  pour  into  his  lips  a few  drops  of  brandy, 
to  lift  up  his  head  and  give  him  the  assurance  of  life 
and  sympathy.  There  a brother  knelt  and  wept  over  a 
dying  brother,  and  his  voice,  broken  with  sobs,  begged 
me  to  come  and  pray  that  his  brother  might  be  able 
to  see  Jesus  and  depart  in  peace.  There  a father 
held  up  in  his  arms  a dying  son  and  was  receiving  his 
last  message  to  mother,  sister,  and  brother ; here  a 
group  of  sympathizing  soldiers  stood  around  a dying 
companion  who  was  loudly  bewailing  his  early  death 
and  that  he  should  never  see  again  the  loved  associ- 
ates of  his  youth.  There,  four  or  five  were  holding 
in  their  strong  arms  one  whose  brain  having  been 
pierced  with  a ball,  and  deprived  of  reason,  was  strong 
in  the  frantic  energy  of  madness ; here  a beckoning 
hand  urged  me  to  come  and  at  the  sufferer’s  request 
sit  down  by  his  side  and  tell  him  what  he  must  do  to 
be  saved.  There  was  whispered  a story  of  disobedi- 
ence, of  crime,  that  now  stung  like  a serpent  and  bit 
like  an  adder.  Another  begged  me  to  come  early  in 
the  morning  and  write  a line  to  father  or  wife.  Others 
entreated  that  they  should  not  be  compelled  to  submit 
to  the  knife  of  the  operator,  but  that  their  limbs  might 
be  spared  them  for  they  felt  sure  that  under  the  sur- 
geon’s hand  they  should  die.  Others  begged  that 
some  board  might  bear  their  names  and  be  placed  at 
the  head  of  their  graves. 

“ If  I turned  from  these  scenes  on  the  open  ground 
and  entered  into  any  of  the  houses,  spots  of  blood 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


141 


stained  the  steps  and  the  stairs.  In  the  halls  were 
lying  alongside  of  each  other  many  of  the  wounded 
and  dead.  The  rooms  were  crowded  with  sufferers 
broken  and  shattered  in  every  conceivable  way  by 
the  enginery  of  death. 

“ From  the  mouth  of  one  was  running  a stream  of 
blood ; another  was  upheld  in  the  arms  of  a friend 
and  gasping  for  breath,  and  the  deep  and  unnaturally 
bright  eye  told  that  all  the  energies  of  life  were  sum- 
moned to  the  struggle. 

“ One  lying  on  the  floor,  told  by  his  loud  snore,  of 
the  injury  done  to  the  brain,  and  that  he  in  all  proba- 
bility would  never  open  his  eyes  ; and  another  begged 
for  help  that  he  might  change  his  position  and  relieve 
the  suffering  of  his  shattered  thigh. 

‘ Night  of  nights  ! who  can  tell  thy  tales  of  woe  V 

“ At  one  place  where  a wounded  soldier  was  panting 
his  last,  I was  summoned.  He  begged  me  to  pray  for 
him,  and  taking  from  his  finger  a gold  ring,  he  asked 
me  to  send  it  to  his  wife  who  had  given  it  to  him  on 
the  day  of  their  marriage,  and  now  he  wished  it  to  he 
restored  to  her.  In  a few  moments  the  last  battle 
was  fought  and  the  soldier  was  asleep.  On  examin- 
ing the  ring  I found  underneath  the  wrappings  of  a 
thread  the  initials  ‘ J.  S.  to  C.  B.’  This  had  been 
done  to  preserve  the  letters,  and  was  the  careful  act 
of  human  love,  anxious  to  preserve  a sacred  memento. 
In  another  group  of  sufferers  I found  a little  boy,  ap- 
parently not  more  than  twelve  years  of  age  ; the  long 
hair  thrown  back  from  the  beautiful  forehead,  enabled 
me  to  see  by  the  lantern  light  a very  child-like  face. 


142 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


His  right  leg  had  been  amputated  above  his  knee,  and 
he  was  lying  motionless  and  apparently  breathless, 
and  as  white  as  snow.  I bent  over  him  and  put  my 
fingers  on  his  wrist,  and  discovered  to  my  surprise 
the  faint  trembling  of  a pulse.  I immediately  said 
to  my  attendant : 

“ ‘ Why,  the  child  is  alive !’ 

“ ‘Yes,  sir,’  said  he,  opening  his  eyes,  ‘ I am  alive ; 
will  you  not  send  me  to  my  mother  V 

And  where  is  your  mother  ?’  said  I,  ‘ my  child?’ 

“ ‘ In  Sumpterville,  South  Carolina,’  he  replied. 

“ ‘ Oh  ! yes,  my  son,  we  will  certainly  send  you  to 
your  mother.’ 

“ ‘ Well,  well,’  said  he,  ‘ that  is  kind ; I will  go  to 
sleep  now.’” 


CHAPTER  XT. 


FAIR  OA^IKIS. 

Positions  Occupied  by  the  Contending  Forces. — General  Hooker  Com- 
mences the  Action. — Advance  of  Sickles,  Grover,  and  Robinson. — 
General  Kearney  and  Colonel  Hicks  Protect  the  Flanks. — Both 
Armies  Enveloped  in  a Cloud  of  Smoke. — The  Engagement  Becomes 
General. — Defeat  of  the  Rebels. — They  Fly  to  Their  Entrench- 
ments.— McClellan  Orders  a Cessation  of  Hostilities. — Renewal  of 
the  Battle. — Rout  and  Final  Defeat  of  the  Enemy. 

fFHE  battle  of  Fair  Oaks  was  the  first  of  a grand 
1 and  never-to-be-forgotten  series  of  engagements 
known  as  “ The  Seven  Days’  Battles.”  On  the  twenty- 
fifth  of  June,  1862,  McClellan  instructed  General 
Heintzelman,  then  in  command  of  the  left  wing  of 
his  army,  to  advance  his  entire  front  towards  the 
enemy.  For  many  days  previous  to  this  movement, 
the  army  had  anticipated  the  order  to  advance,  as 
everything  seemed  in  readiness  for  a renewed  demon- 
tration  against  Richmond. 

It  was  determined  as  a first  step  in  the  programme 
to  attack  and  drive  the  enemy  from  his  rifle  pits  and 
earthworks  and  establish  our  lines  where  his  then  were. 
The  accomplishment  of  this  design  was  committed  to 
General  Hooker,  a brave  and  sagacious  officer  who 
had  already  been  tried  in  several  of  the  most  sanguin- 
ary battles  of  the  Peninsular  Campaign. 


144 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 


In  front  of  Hooker’s  lines  was  a thick  undergrowth 
of  scrub-oaks,  vines,  and  ragged  bashes  skirting  a mul- 
titude of  ponds  and  marshes.  This  swampy  wilder- 
ness was  from  four  to  six  hundred  yards  wide,  and 
beyond  stretched  an  open  field  of  eighty  rods  in  width. 
In  this  clearing  were  located  the  rifle-pits,  earthworks 
and  redoubts  of  the  enemy. 

The  assaulting  column  was  comprised  of  the  brig- 
ades of  Sickles,  Grover,  and  Robinson. 

General  Kearney  was  directed  to  protect  the  left 
flank,  and  Colonel  Hicks  with  the  Nineteenth  Massa- 
chusetts Infantry  was  commanded  to  advance  to  and 
cover  the  right. 

All  necessary  appointments  having  been  made,  the 
three  brigades,  led  by  General  Hooker,  advanced  cau- 
tiously but  firmly  into  the  forest,  and  after  having 
proceeded  about  two  hundred  yards,  encountered  and 
pushed  back  the  Rebel  pickets  to  their  main  reserves. 
This  demonstration  was  quickly  followed  by  a spirited 
skirmish  which  soon  resulted  in  rapid  and  incessant 
firing  along  the  entire  line.  In  a few  moments  the 
forest  was  a scene  of  furious  contest  and  the  ominous 
quiet  was  succeeded  by  the  terrible  din  and  clash  of 
aims  and  the  roar  of  cannon  and  musketry. 

Both  armies  were,  for  a time,  enveloped  in  a cloud 
of  smoke,  which  rising  up  and  twisting  itself  among 
the  trees,  hung  over  the  contending  forces  as  a pall  of 
darkness  : and  then  streams  of  fire  like  angry  light- 
nings shot  athwart  the  sky ; and  anon,  a courier  would 
dash  out  from  the  gloom,  covered  with  blood  and  dust, 
bearing  dispatches  or  hastening  for  orders. 

In  less  than  half  an  hour  after  driving  in  the  pickets, 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 


145 


the  divisions  of  Hooker  and  Kearney  were  involved  in 
the  liveliest  action.  The  arrival  of  fresh  troops  oil 
both  sides  was  an  evidence  that  a decisive  battle  was 
courted  by  the  contestants. 

The  Federal  troops  pushed  steadily  forward  routing 
the  Confederates,  and  driving  them  from  the  forest 
into  the  open  field  beyond,  over  which  they  fled  and 
sought  protection  in  their  intrenchments. 

Our  men  now  raised  a shout  of  triumph  which 
was  caught  up  by  regiment  after  regiment  and  borne 
through  the  army. 

General  Grover  was  about  ordering  an  assault 
against  the  Rebels  in  their  defences  when  he  received 
an  order  from  General  McClellan  to  halt  his  brigade. 
From  an  erroneous  impression  concerning  the  actual 
condition  of  the  forces  engaged  he  ordered  General 
Hooker  to  retire  from  the  field  of  victory,  and  return 
to  the  position  occupied  before  the  battle ; but  when 
McClellan  subsequently  came  upon  the  field,  he  ordered 
our  troops  to  advance  and  re-occupy  the  woods  and 
fields  they  had  taken,  and  before  night  the  Confeder- 
ates were  driven  out  of  their  rifle-pits  and  from  the 
fields,  and  we  had  gained  a victory  which  cost  us 
nearly  a thousand  of  our  best  men  in  killed  and 
wounded. 

The  Rebels  smarting  under  the  punishment  they 
had  received  in  the  afternoon,  came  out  in  force  at  sis 
o’clock  in  the  evening  and  re-opened  the  battle  by  at- 
tacking General  Robinson’s  brigade. 

This  last  onset  was  the  closing  scene  in  the  battle  of 
Fair  Oaks,  and  was  a bitter,  earnest  struggle  for  the 
fruits  of  conflict.  The  Confederates  made  a very  de- 


146  BATTLES  FUR  THE  UNION. 

termined  charge  led  by  a very  brave  regiment  of  Geor- 
gians, but  they  were  met  by  men  equally  brave  and 
determined,  and  receiving  a check  at  the  points  of  our 
bayonets  were  speedily  repulsed  and  driven  back  leav- 
ing four  hundred  of  their  number  dead  on  the  field. 
The  Federal  troops  were  under  arms  the  entire  night 
following  this  engagement,  with  instructions  to  be 
prepared  to  advance  at  a moment’s  notice.  Every 
now  and  then  there  was  an  attack  upon  some  portion 
of  our  lines,  the  Confederates  seemingly  determined 
to  regain  by  surprise  or  strategy  what  they  had  lost 
during  the  day ; but  it  was  subsequently  ascertained 
that  these  apparently  futile  assaults  were  only  feints 
intended  to  occupy  our  attention  and  to  prevent  Mc- 
Clellan sending  reinforcements  to  the  right  wing  of 
his  army. 

When  McClellan  on  the  twenty-fifth  ordered  an  ad- 
vance upon  the  Confederate  works,  our  army  was  full 
of  hope,  believing  that  we  were  then  taking  the  initia- 
tory step  in  a series  of  actions  which  would  in  a few 
days  place  us  in  possession  of  Richmond.  We  were 
successful  at  Fair  Oaks  and  confident  that  the  next  day 
would  enable  us  to  overcome  half  of  the  obstacles 
that  disputed  our  march  to  the  Rebel  capitol.  At  an 
early  hour  on  the  morning  of  Thursday,  the  twenty- 
sixth,  the  roar  of  battle  was  heard  along  the  Chicka- 
hominy. 

This  was  the  hotly  contested  battle  of  Mechanics- 
ville,  the  second  of  the  Seven  Days’  Battles  which  was 
successively  followed  with  varying  fortune,  by  Gains’ 
Mills,  Savage  Station,  White  Oak  Swamp,  Glendale, 
and  Malvern  Hill. 


CHAPTER  X Y I . 


TvTyVT  3HEII_iI_i. 

Battle  of  Malvern  Hill. — The  Final  Engagement  of  the  Peninsular 
Campaign. — Scene  of  the  Battle. — Influence  of  our  Gunboats. — At" 
tack  of  the  Rebels  led  by  General  Magruder. — Destructive  Fire 
from  Federal  Cannon. — The  Rebels  Repulsed. — They  Reform  and 
Charge  Again. — Another  Tempest  of  Fire  from  our  Batteries 
Sweeps  them  from  the  Field. — Their  Guns  are  Silenced,  the  Horses 
Killed  and  Regiments  Cut  Down. — McClellan  Orders  a Retreat  to 
Harrison’s  Landing. — Indignation  of  the  Army. — General  Kearney 
Protests  Against  the  Order  for  Retreat. — General  Martindale  Sheds 
Tears  of  Shame. 

MALVERN  HILL,  the  scene  of  the  final  engage- 
ment of  the  Peninsular  campaign,  is  an  eleva- 
tion of  nearly  two  hundred  feet  and  fronts  on  J ames 
river  to  the  south,  which  flows  lazily  along  at  a dis- 
tance of  between  two  and  three  miles.  To  the  north 
it  faces  an  open  field  of  from  a half  to  two-thirds 
of  a mile  in  length  and  one-third  in  width.  To  the 
north  and  east  is  a gentle,  undulating  slope,  hut  to 
the  south  and  west  it  is  quite  rugged  and  difficult  of 
ascent. 

On  this  elevated  plain  stands  an  old-fashioned  but 
decidedly  substantial  country-seat,  known  as  the  Crew 
House,  surrounded  by  a large  number  of  out-houses 
which  are  embosomed  in  a multitude  of  vines  and 
trees. 


148 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


A bright,  magnificent,  enchanting  prospect  opened 
to  the  eyes  of  the  Federal  troops  as  they  took  position 
on  Malvern  Hill.  From  the  darkness  and  gloom  of 
the  Chickaliominy  swamps  and  from  fields  trodden 
into  barrenness,  they  were  brought  to  gaze  upon  a 
country  which  had  not  as  yet  felt  the  devastating 
tread  of  armies. 

The  story  of  this  battle  has  been  so  eloquently  told 
by  an  eye-witness,  that  I cannot  refrain  from  quoting 
it  here.  He  says  that  during  the  night  previous  to 
the  battle,  rifle  pits  were  dug  under  the  guns,  in  the 
slope.  The  troops  in  these  pits  were  covered  with 
straw  and  freshly-reaped  grain,  and  the  glasses  of  the 
officers  of  the  Confederate  army  could  not  see  that 
before  they  could  take  these  batteries,  they  would  have 
to  encounter  ten  thousand  bayonets. 

The  strength  of  our  position  was  increased  by  the 
presence  of  five  gun-boats,  ready  at  a moment’s  no- 
tice to  open  in  action.  The  moral  influence  of  these 
on  our  army  was  very  manifest. 

During  the  morning  the  enemy,  now  under  the 
command  of  General  Magruder,  assisted  by  Jackson, 
Longstreet,  Hill,  and  Huger,  advanced  from  different 
points  shelling  the  woods  as  they  slowly  felt  their 
way,  and  at  length,  about  noon,  their  skirmishers 
discovered  our  position.  The  field  in  our  front  was 
about  three-fourths  of  a mile  long  and  half  a mile 
wide,  and  beyond  it  a deep,  dark,  pine  forest.  On 
the  edge  of  this  field  at  different  points  General  Ma- 
gruder threw  out  batteries  and  regiments,  for  what 
purpose  could  not  be  known ; and  no  sooner  were 
they  disclosed  than  they  brought  on  them  a rain  of 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION.  ^49 

death.  In  a moment  the  regiments  were  swept  away 
like  chaff  before  a storm. 

The  horses  were  killed  at  the  guns,  the  carriages 
were  tossed  into  a thousand  fragments,  the  caissons 
were  exploded,  and  the  gunners  who  still  lived,  es- 
caped into  the  shelter  of  the  woods. 

About  four  o’clock  in  the  afternoon  General  Magru- 
der  ordered  an  advance  along  the  entire  left  wing  of  his 
line  ; and  there  were  brought  out  into  the  field  several 
divisions  and  batteries.  Prominent  among  these  were 
the  brigades  of  Toombs,  Cobb,  Wright,  and  Armisted, 
among  the  finest  troops  in  the  Southern  army.  They 
were  sustained  by  about  twenty  pieces  of  artillery 
thrown  out  into  the  plain.  The  first  column  advanced 
with  steady  step  towards  our  batteries ; but  long  be- 
fore it  reached  the  middle  of  the  open  ground,  the 
troops  were  met  by  such  an  iron  tempest,  that  the  few 
who  survived  fell  to  the  ground,  and  abandoning  their 
guns  commenced  crawling  back  on  their  faces  to- 
wards the  forest. 

A second  column  with  a courage  which  on  the  part 
of  their  officers  was  madness,  but  was  at  the  moment 
the  admiration  of  our  army,  ran  out  into  the  open 
field  and  pressed  towards  our  death-dealing  cannon. 

These  again  were  mowed  down.  They  rallied,  fee- 
bly shouted  defiance,  pressed  into  the  cloud  of  smoke, 
and  another  tempest  of  fire  lighted  up  the  scene  for  a 
moment  and  that  column  was  gone.  Here  and  there 
a straggler  emerged  from  the  smoke  and  ran  across 
the  field  to  his  friends  ; he  was  but  one,  while  the 
hundreds  were  lying  mangled  and  dead  on  the  plain. 

A third  column  was  thrown  out  from  the  cover  of 


150 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


the  forest ; fresh  batteries  were  brought  into  play, 
and  when  the  smoke  had  slightly  lifted  up  from  the 
field,  the  terrific  conflict  was  renewed  ; again  the 
guns  of  the  Confederates  were  silenced,  the  horses 
killed,  the  caissons  on  fire,  and  the  regiments  cut 
down  ; re-forming,  now  prostrate,  and  then  springing 
forward,  until  their  thinned  and  ragged  lines,  as  they 
came  within  musket  range,  presented  so  pitiable  a 
spectacle  that  our  men  fired  with  little  purpose  to 
kill. 

About  half-past  five  o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  a pow- 
erful body  of  troops  from  General  Magruder’s  center 
were  advanced  into  the  field  ; their  orders  were  to 
press  forward  over  every  obstacle. 

There  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  these  troops 
had  been  rendered  insensible  to  fear  by  whiskey 
drugged  with  gunpowder  ; and  undeterred  by  the  fate 
of  those  who  had  perished  in  previous  attacks,  with 
shouts  and  yells  they  pressed  on  towards  our  men. 
Many  pieces  of  our  cannon  opened  upon  them  and 
grape  and  shell  swept  through  their  lines  ; treading 
on  the  dead,  pressing  down  the  living  who  had  fallen 
to  the  ground,  they  with  unwavering  step  still  ad- 
vanced ; emboldened  by  their  example,  other  regi- 
ments ran  out  with  wild  cheers  from  the  forest  ; on 
and  on  over  the  field  of  carnage  they  advanced  ; 
every  discharge  of  our  guns  made  great  gaps  in  their 
lines,  but  instantly  closing  up,  they  pressed  forward  : 
another  sheet  of  flame  would  spread  out  over  the 
field  and  the  roar  and  thunder  followed,  moving  the 
ground  as  if  trembling  in  the  convulsion  of  an  earth- 
quake. 


MALVERN  HILL. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


153 


When  the  smoke  cleared  away  a little,  the  broken 
columns  were  seen  still  with  fiery  madness  pressing 
on.  Already  they  had  begun  to  ascend  the  slope, 
and  had  succeeded  in  coming  so  near  that  our  artil- 
lery could  no  longer  so  damagingly  sweep  the  ground. 

With  all  the  frenzy  of  maniacs  they  still  ran  to- 
wards us  ; the  efforts  of  the  artillery  were  re-doubled  ; 
the  men  at  our  guns  turned  pale  and  stood  aghast  ; 
another  moment  and  the  day  might  be  lost ; — -just 
then  up  sprang  our  concealed  men  in  the  rifle-pits, 
and  a long  stream  of  fire  darted  forth  from  a thous- 
and muskets,  and  springing  forward  with  fixed  bayo- 
net, they  met  the  foe  who  quailed,  wavered  and  then 
renewed  the  conflict,  hut  it  was  in  vain  ; with  the  in- 
sanity of  men  who  sought  death,  they  still  continued 
the  struggle,  and  a long  line  of  their  dead  at  the  base 
of  this  hill,  bore  witness  to  the  severity  and  destruc- 
tiveness of  the  contest.  The  whole  scene  at  this  time 
was  one  of  terror  and  appalling  splendor. 

The  batteries  on  the  heights  continued  to  pour  a 
constant  and  withering  fire  into  the  forests  where  the 
forces  of  the  enemy  were  concealed,  and  simulta- 
neously the  thunder  of  a hundred  great  guns  shook 
the  hill  and  caused  the  waters  of  the  river  to  tremble. 
The  firing  of  the  gunboats  added  very  much  to  the 
overpowering  grandeur  of  the  hour.  The  shells  dis- 
charged from  the  monster  guns  of  these  vessels 
rushed  through  the  air  with  a frightful  shriek  that 
was  heard  above  the  roar  of  battle  ; then  when  they 
entered  the  forests,  great  trees  were  shivered  into  a 
thousand  fragments,  the  branches  were  torn  from 
others  and  tossed  into  the  heavens,  or  thrown  far  into 

1 


154 


BATTLES  FOR  TIIE  UNION. 


the  deep  shades,  and  when  they  burst,  it  was  with  an 
explosion  that  shook  the  earth  for  miles.  The  terror 
inspired  by  these  shells  was  such  as  to  deprive  the 
rebels  of  all  courage  and  they  fled  into  the  deeper  re- 
cesses of  the  forest. 

The  contest  in  front  of  the  rifle-pits  was  but  short, 
for,  unable  to  bear  up  against  the  impetuous  attack  of 
our  men,  the  enemy  endeavored  to  remove  their  broken 
columns  from  the  field.  As  they  fled  they  were  pur- 
sued three-fourths  of  a mile  by  the  Union  troops  and 
the  entire  Rebel  army  was  struck  with  a panic  ; and 
if  at  this  moment  we  could  have  brought  ten  thous- 
and reserves  into  the  field,  we  might  have  marched 
back  again  and  re-taken  all  we  had  lost,  and  without 
any  difficulty  reached  Richmond  ; — this  statement  will 
be  amply  confirmed  in  subsequent  chapters. 

On  the  fleeing  columns  of  the  enemy,  our  batteries 
and  gun-boats  continued  to  fire  until  ten  o’clock  at 
night,  throwing  the  shells  into  the  forests  ; for  hours 
not  a gun  replied  and  not  even  a courier  dared  to 
show  himself  in  the  open  field. 

The  battle  was  over,  but  the  cannonading  still  con- 
tinued, and  shells  and  balls  of  every  kind  tore  through 
the  woods  in  a ceaseless  whirlwind  of  fury.  In  the 
meantime,  thousands  of  the  Confederates  fled  in  the 
wildest  disorder  from  the  scene,  and  hid  themselves  in 
swamps  and  hollows : — soldiers  without  guns,  horse- 
men without  caps  and  swords  came  to  the  hospitals  on 
the  battle-field  of  Glendale  and  reported  that  their 
regiments  and  brigades  were  swept  away  and  that  they 
alone  were  “ escaped  to  tell  the  tale”. 

It  is  one  of  the  strangest  things  in  this  week  of  dis- 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


155 


aster  that  General  McClellan  ordered  a retreat  to 
Harrison’s  Landing,  six  miles  down  the  James  river, 
after  we  had  gained  so  decided  a victory.  When  this 
order  was  received  by  the  impatient  and  eager  army, 
consternation  and  amazement  overwhelmed  our  patri- 
otic and  ardent  hosts.  Some  refused  to  obey  the  com- 
mand. General  Martindale  shed  tears  of  shame. 

The  brave  and  chivalrous  Kearney  said  in  the  pres- 
ence of  many  officers ; “ I,  Philip  Kearney,  an  old 
soldier,  enter  my  solemn  protest  against  this  order  for 
retreat, — we  ought,  instead  of  retreating,  to  follow 
up  the  enemy  and  take  Richmond.  And  in  full  view 
of  all  the  responsibility  of  such  a declaration,  I say  to 
you  all,  such  an  order  can  only  be  prompted  by  cow- 
ardice or  treason.” 

And  with  all,  hopelessness  and  despair  succeeded 
the  flush  of  triumph.  In  silence  and  gloom  our  victo- 
rious army  commenced  retiring  from  an  enemy  utterly 
broken,  scattered,  and  panic-stricken. 

And  when  there  was  not  a foe  within  miles  of  us, 
we  left  our  wounded  behind  to  perish,  and  any  one 
witnessing  the  wild  eagerness  of  our  retreat,  would 
have  supposed  that  we  were  in  the  greatest  peril  from 
9,  vigilant  and  triumphant  enemy.  During  the  nights 
of  the  first  and  second  of  July  we  were  visited  by  one 
of  the  heaviest  of  rain-storms  : this  continued  for 
twenty-four  hours  without  intermission,  until  the  en- 
tire Peninsula  was  covered  with  water,  and  rivers 
rushed  where  there  had  been  only  little  streams.  In 
this  storm,  on  the  morning  of  Wednesday,  the  army 
fell  down  to  Berkely  or  Harrison’s  Landing.  This 
was  done  on  account  of  the  superiority  of  the  landing, 


156 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


James  river  at  this  point  being  broad  and  deep.  The 
position  was  of  such  a character  that  the  army  could 
be  shielded  from  any  force  the  enemy  could  bring 
against  us.  We  could  have  taken  many  of  his  aban- 
doned guns  from  the  field,  but  satisfied  ourselves  with 
carrying  off  all  our  own  with  incredible  difficulty,  over 
worse  than  Crimean  roads.  We  retired  to  Harrison’s 
Landing  without  the  enemy  making  any  demonstration 
in  our  rear  : and  weary  and  exhausted  by  struggles 
and  battles  which  have  probably  no  parallel  in  human 
history,  our  troops  found  rest.  And  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  fifty-eight  thousand  remained, 
and  sixty  thousand  were  in  the  hospitals,  lying  wound- 
ed on  the  field,  or  killed  in  battle. 

Our  loss  in  the  battle  of  Malvern  Hill  was  slight 
compared  with  that  of  other  days.  But  the  loss  of' 
the  enemy  on  this  single  field  was  fully  equal  in  killed 
and  wounded  to  our  losses  in  the  seven  days. 


CHAPTER  X Y II . 


CEDAR  IvIOXJnsrT^-IZST. 

The  Battle-ground. — Jackson  En  route  for  Culpepper. — Occupancy  of 
Cedar  Mountain. — Three  Miles  of  Batteries. — Banks  Receives  the 
Attack. — A Rain  of  Fire. — Charge  on  Enemy’s  Battery. — Over- 
whelmed by  Superior  Numbers. — Ricketts  to  the  Front. — Enemy 
Compelled  to  Fall  Back. — Artillery  Battle  at  Night. — Interment  of 
Fallen  Braves. — Losses. — The  Enemy  Retires. — Cedar  Mountain 
Occupied  by  Union  Troops. 

THE  first  stopping-point  south  of  Brandy  Station  on 
the  Orange  and  Alexandria  railroad  in  Virginia,  is 
Culpepper  Court  House.  Midway  between  this  point 
and  the  banks  of  the  Rapidan,  rises  Cedar  Mountain, 
a cone-shaped  elevation  with  wooded  sides  and  grassy 
slopes  which  gave  its  name  to  the  engagement  fought 
here,  August  ninth,  1862. 

For  nearly  a month  the  forces  of  the  enemy  under 
Stonewall  Jackson  had  been  watching  the  line  of  the 
Rapidan,  and  when  General  Pope  marched  towards 
Culpepper  Court  House,  the  enemy  made  haste  to  push 
his  forces  in  that  direction,  to  cut  off,  if  possible,  the 
Union  advance  before  the  main  body  of  the  Federal 
army  could  come  up.  The  Confederates  did  not  reach 
Culpepper  Court  House,  but  at  day-break  on  the  ninth 
held  Cedar  Mountain  and  were  intrenched  behind  its 
wooded  heights. 


158 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


They  also  occupied  a range  of  heights  and  ravines 
westward  of  the  mountain. 

One  mile  away,  on  an  elevated  plateau  extending  to 
the  eastward  for  the  distance  of  a mile  and  westward 
an  equal  distance,  General  Banks  drew  up  his  army 
in  battle  array  to  receive  the  attack  of  the  Confeder- 
ates. At  three  o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  pickets 
on  our  right  were  driven  in  and  a battery  directly  in 
our  front  opened  on  us  at  long  range.  Then  there 
came  pouring  in  upon  our  troops  a red  rain  of 
fire  from  batteries  unmasking  on  the  hill-side  and  ar- 
ranged in  a semicircle  for  a distance  of  three  miles. 

For  two  hours  did  this  storm  of  destruction  sweep 
our  ranks.  Cross  fires  and  flank  fires  were  received 
at  every  point.  The  enemy  outnumbered  us  in  men 
and  in  guns  besides  having  the  advantage  of  position. 
But  up  to  five  o’clock  our  batteries  replied  to  theirs 
shot  for  shot. 

Then  it  was  that  the  enemy  opened  an  enfilading 
fire  on  our  right  and  General  Banks  gave  orders  to 
reserve  fire  and  charge  the  Confederate  guns. 

Crawford’s  Brigade  of  Williams’  Division  made  the 
charge  and  the  Forty-sixth  Pennsylvania  regiment  led 
the  van.  But  a withering  fire  proceeding  from  a 
thicket  of  scrub  oaks  just  back  of  the  Confederate 
battery,  mowed  down  the  Union  ranks  with  great 
slaughter. 

The  commands  of  Augur  and  Williams  were  brought 
to  the  support  of  the  advance,  but  the  overwhelming 
numbers  of  the  enemy,  his  advantage  of  position  and 
the  great  gaps  in  our  lines  compelled  General  Banks 
to  fall  gradually  back,  meeting  as  he  did  so  the  sup- 
ports of  Pope  which  were  in  close  proximity. 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 


159 


General  Pope  at  once  ordered  Ricketts  to  the  front 
where  his  battery  was  used  with  such  effect  on  the 
Confederates  who  attempted  to  follow  up  Banks,  that 
they  retired  in  confusion  to  their  old  position,  sustain- 
ing considerable  loss  in  the  encounter. 

A sharp  artillery  battle  was  kept  up  between  the 
contestants  until  midnight,  the  battle-ground  of  the 
day  previous  being  occupied  by  neither  army,  but 
swept  by  the  guns  of  both.  Th«  hours  of  the  tenth 
of  August — the  day  after  the  battle — were  occupied 
by  our  soldiers  in  giving  burial  to  their  fallen  com- 
rades. Dust  was  consigned  to  dust  on  the  field  where 
they  fell,  and  another  strike  for  country  was  recorded, 
at  what  precious  cost  of  life! 

During  the  night  of  the  eleventh,  Stonewall  Jack- 
son  re-crossed  the  Rapidan  and  retired  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Orange  Court-House.  The  Union  loss  in  this 
drawn  battle  was  about  eighteen  hundred  in  killed, 
wounded,  and  missing,  besides  about  one  thousand 
stragglers  who  went  back  beyond  Culpepper  Court 
House  and  never  entirely  rejoined  their  commands. 

General  Prince  was  taken  prisoner,  and  Generals 
Augur,  Geary,  and  Carroll  were  severely  wounded. 
General  Banks,  colliding  with  a runaway  horse,  was 
thrown  from  his  own  and  injured. 

The  enemy’s  loss  was  nearly  the  same  as  ours, 
and  Generals  Winder  and  Trimble  were  killed.  A 
heavy  cavalry  force  under  Buford  and  Bayard  went 
in  pursuit  of  the  enemy  and  captured  many  strag- 
glers. The  Union  head-quarters  were  now  placed 
at  Cedar  Mountain  and  our  forces  advanced  to  the 
Rapidan. 


ICO 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


General  Pope,  believing  that  the  enemy’s  forces  in 
his  front  were  unnecessarily  strong  for  reconnoitering 
purposes  only,  called  in  all  his  available  troops.  He 
was  joined  on  the  eleventh  by  King  from  Fredericks- 
burg and  on  the  fourteenth  by  General  Reno  with 
eight  thousand  men.  The  programme  for  the  suc- 
ceeding ten  or  twelve  days  was  varied  by  the  camp, 
the  march,  and  the  skirmish-line. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


IBIFt^-lXriD'Sr  STATION. 

First  Battle.— Lee  Resumes  Hostilities.— Stuart’s  Cavalry  Attack.— 
Gallant  Repulse  by  Kilpatrick.— Second  Battle.— Skirmish  at  Kelly’s 
Ford. — Splendid  Charge  of  the  Union  Army. — Complete  Rout  of  the 
Enemy. — Heroic  Feats  on  the  Field. — Charge  of  the  First  Marne. — 
Fall  of  Colonel  Davis. — Third  Battle. — The  Enemy  Swept  from  the 
Plains. — Prisoners  and  Materials  of  War  Captured. — Fourth  Bat- 
tle.— Critical  Situation  of  Kilpatrick. — Bravery  of  Custer  and  Da- 
vies.— The  Exultant  Battle-Cry.— Fresh  Laurels  for  the  Union 
Troops — Scene  on  the  Battle-field. — The  Writer’s  Part  iu  the  Four 
Contests. 

rPHE  words  Brandy  Station  will  ever  excite  a multi- 
-L  tude  of  thrilling  memories  in  the  minds  of  all 
cavalry-men  who  saw  service  in  Virginia ; for  this 
was  the  grand  cavalry  battle-ground  of  the  war. 

On  these  historic  plains  our  Bayard,  Stoneman,  and 
Pleasanton  have  successively  led  their  gallant  troopers 
against  the  commands  of  Stuart,  Lee,  and  Hampton. 
The  twentieth  of  August,  1862,  the  ninth  of  June, 
twelfth  of  September,  and  eleventh  of  October,  1863, 
are  days  which  cannot  soon  be  forgotten  by  the  “ Boys 
in  Blue  ” who  crossed  sabres  with  the  Confederates 
at  Brandy  Station. 

Converging  and  diverging  roads  at  this  point  quite 
naturally  brought  the  cavalry  of  the  contending 
armies  together  whenever  we  advanced  to  or  retired 
from  the  Rapidan.  Being  both  the  advance  and  rear 


162 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


guard  of  the  opposing  forces,  our  horsemen  always 
found  themselves  face  to  face  with  the  foe  on  this 
field  ; in  fact  most  of  our  cavalry  men  were  so  confident 

of  a fight  here  that  as  soon  as  we  discovered  that  we 
were  approaching  the  Station  we  prepared  for  action 
by  tightening  our  saddle-girths  and  inspecting  our 
arms. 

First  Brandy  Station. 

Upon  the  withdrawal  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
from  the  Peninsula,  General  Lee,  contemplating  the 
invasion  of  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania,  started  his 
army  northward  with  the  view,  no  doubt,  of  driving 
Pope  from  Northern  Virginia  and  carrying  the  Con- 
federate standard  into  the  loyal  states.  The  battle  of 
Cedar  Mountain  temporarily  checked  his  forward  move- 
ment and  compelled  him  to  retire  to  the  south  bank 
of  the  Rapidan.  The  re-appearance  of  Rebel  skir- 
mishers at  the  various  fords  of  this  river  on  the  morn- 
ing of  August  eighteenth,  1862,  was  an  evidence  to 
our  pickets  that  the  enemy  was  about  to  resume  hos- 
tilities. 

General  Pope  at  once  ordered  his  artillery  and  in- 
fantry to  retire  beyond  the  Rappahannock,  while  Gen- 
eral Bayard  commanding  the  cavalry  was  charged 
with  covering  the  rear  of  the  retiring  army.  We 
disputed  the  advance  of  the  Rebels  so  stubbornly 
that  they  found  no  opportunity  to  interfere  with  the 
retreat  of  the  main  column.  The  morning  of  the 
twentieth  found  the  “Harris  Light,”  Tenth  New  York, 
First  Pennsylvania,  First  Maine,  First  Rhode  Island, 
and  First  New  Jersey  Cavalry  bivouacked  at  Brandy 
Station. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


163 


The  engagement  opened  at  six  o’clock  by  an  attack 
of  Stuart’s  cavalry  upon  the  Harris  Light,  acting 
as  rear-guard  of  Bayard’s  Brigade. 

This  preliminary  onset  was  speedily  repulsed  by  the 
Harris  Light,  which  regiment  kept  the  enemy  in  check 
until  General  Bayard  had  gained  sufficient  time  to 
enable  him  to  form  his  command  at  a more  favorable 
- point,  two  miles  north  of  the  Station  on  the  direct 
road  to  the  Rappahannock.  Here  the  Harris  Light, 
led  by  Colonel  Kilpatrick  and  Major  Davies,  again 
charged  the  advance  regiments  of  the  Confederate 
column,  thus  opening  the  series  of  memorable  con- 
flicts at  Brandy  Station  and  adding  fresh  laurels  to 
its  already  famous  record.  A deep  cut  in  a hill 
through  which  the  Orange  and  Alexandria  Railroad 
passes,  checked  our  pursuit,  else  we  should  have  cap- 
tured many  prisoners.  The  First  New  Jersey  and 
First  Pennsylvania  coming  to  our  relief  enabled  us  to 
reform  our  broken  squadrons,  and  as  Pope  had  in- 
structed General  Bayard  not  to  bring  on  a general  en- 
gagement the  cavalry  now  crossed  the  Rappahannock 
and  awaited  the  orders  of  the  general-in-chief. 

Second  Brandy  Station. 

The  battle  of  Chancellorsville  did  not  materially 
change  the  positions  of  the  contending  armies,  but 
General  Lee,  emboldened  by  his  success  in  compel- 
ling his  new  adversary  to  retrace  his  steps  across  the 
Rappahannock,  began  at  once  to  put  himself  in  a con- 
dition to  take  the  offensive.  This  activity  in  the 
Rebel  camp  soon  determined  General  Hooker  to  make 
a reconnoisance  in  force,  and  he  accordingly  instruct- 


164 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


ed  General  Pleasanton,  now  in  command  of  the  cav- 
alry corps,  to  proceed  to  Culpepper,  break  up  Stuart’s 
encampment  at  that  point  and  ascertain,  if  possible, 
the  whereabouts  and  probable  destination  of  the  Con- 
federate Chief. 

At  eight  o’clock  in  the  afternoon  of  June  eighth, 
the  Cavalry  Corps  moved  from  its  temporary  head- 
quarters at  Warrenton  Junction  towards  the  Rappa- 
hannock. We  moved  in  two  columns,  one  taking  the 
road  to  Beverly  and  the  other  to  Kelly’s  Ford. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  ninth  we  arrived  at 
the  river,  where  it  was  evident  we  were  not  expected 
in  force,  for  we  found  nothing  but  a strong  picket 
guard  to  contest  our  advance. 

A brief  though  brisk  skirmish  took  place  at  Kelly’s 
Ford  between  the  Harris  Light  Cavalry,  acting  as  van- 
guard of  the  column  under  Kilpatrick,  and  the  Con- 
federate pickets.  The  latter  were  quickly  driven 
back,  and  the  division  began  to  cross  over.  On 
reaching  the  south  bank  of  the  stream,  the  column 
was  reformed  and  we  advanced  several  miles  at  a 
trot  and  gallop,  the  men  meantime  cutting  from  their 
saddles  overcoats,  blankets,  forage,  and  in  short  every- 
thing which  was  found  to  be  an  obstruction  to  speed. 

The  column  at  Beverly  Ford,  commanded  by  Gen- 
eral Gregg,  had  been  engaged  since  early  in  the 
morning,  and  the  roaring  of  light  arms  and  the 
booming  of  cannon  clearly  indicated  to  us  that  hot 
work  was  being  done  by  our  comrades  below.  It  had 
been  hoped  that  the  column  would  be  able  to  strike 
the  enemy  in  flank  at  Brandy  Station,  in  the  early 
part  of  the  day,  giving  us  an  opportunity  to  rake 


BATTLES  FOR  TUB  UN  I OX. 


165 


them  furiously  in  front.  Hence  we  were  somewhat 
retarded  in  our  movements,  waiting  or  expecting  the 
combinations  and  juxtapositions  which  had  been 
planned.  But  failing  in  this,  at  length  we  advanced 
towards  the  Station,  where  at  ten  o’clock  we  engaged 
a regiment  of  Stuart’s  cavalry.  As  soon  as  we 
reached  the  field  which  they  had  evidently  selected 
for  the  fight,  we  charged  them  in  a splendid  manner, 
routing  them  completely,  and  capturing  many  prison- 
ers. Light  artillery  was  used  briskly  on  both  sides. 
By  twelve  o’clock,  Pleasanton’s  entire  force  had 
effected  a union,  after  much  severe  fighting  on  the 
left,  and  the  engagement  became  general. 

The  infantry  fought  side  by  side  with  the  cavalry. 
There  was  some  grand  manoeuvering  on  that  historic 
field,  and  feats  were  performed  worthy  of  heroes. 
One  incident  should  be  particulai’ized.  At  a critical 
moment,  when  the  formidable  and  ever-increasing 
hosts  of  the  enemy  were  driving  our  forces  from  a 
desirable  position  we  sought  to  gain,  and  when  it 
seemed  as  though  disaster  to  our  arms  would  be  fatal, 
Kilpatrick’s  battle-flag  was  seen  advancing  followed 
by  the  tried  squadrons  of  the  Harris  Light,  the  Tenth 
New  York,  and  the  First  Maine.  In  echelons  of 
squadrons  our  brigade  was  quickly  formed,  and  we  ad- 
vanced like  a storm-cloud  upon  the  Rebel  cavalry 
which  filled  the  field  before  us.  The  Tenth  New 
York  received  the  first  shock  of  the  Rebel  charge,  but 
was  hurled  back,  though  not  in  confusion.  The 
Harris  Light  met  with  no  better  success ; aud,  not- 
withstanding its  prestige  and  power,  we  were  re- 
pulsed under  the  very  eye  of  our  chief,  whose  ex- 


166 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


citement  at  the  scene  was  well-nigh  uncontrollable. 
His  flashing  eye  now  turned  to  the  First  Maine,  a 
regiment  composed  mostly  of  heavy,  sturdy  men  who 
had  not  been  engaged  as  yet  during  the  day,  and, 
riding  to  the  head  of  the  column,  he  shouted,  “ Men 
of  Maine,  you  must  save  the  day ! Follow  me ! ” 
With  one  simultaneous  war-cry  these  giants  of  the 
North  moved  forward  in  one  solid  mass  upon  the 
flank  of  the  Rebel  columns.  The  shock  was  over- 
whelming; and  the  opposing  lines  crumbled  like  a 
“bowing  wall”  before  this  wild  rush  of  prancing 
horses,  gleaming  sabres,  and  rattling  balls. 

On  rode  Kilpatrick  with  the  men  of  Maine,  and,  on 
meeting  flic  two  regiments  of  his  brigade,  which  had 
been  repulsed  and  were  returning  from  the  front,  the 
General’s  voice  rang  out  like  clarion  notes  above  the 
din  of  battle,  “ Back,  the  Harris  Light ! Back,  the 
Tenth  New  York!  Re-form  your  squadrons  and 
charge!”  With  magical  alacrity  the  order  was 
obeyed,  and  the  two  regiments  which  had  been  so 
humbled  by  their  first  reverse,  now  rushed  into  the 
fight  with  a spirit  and  success  which  redeemed  them 
from  censure,  and  accounted  them  worthy  of  their 
gallant  leader.  The  commanding  position  was  won  ; 
a battery  lost  in  a previous  charge  was  re-captured, 
and  an  effectual  blow  was  given  to  the  enemy  which 
greatly  facilitated  the  movements  which  followed. 
But  the  Rebel  cavalry  was  greatly  emboldened  and 
strengthened  by  reenforcements  of  infantry  which 
were  brought  in  railroad  cars  from  Culpepper.  We, 
however,  continued  to  press  them  closely  until  six 
o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  when,  by  a grand  charge  of 


BRANDY  STATION. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION.  ygg 

our  entire  force,  we  gained  an  important  position, 
which  ended  the  contest. 

Heavy  columns  of  Rebel  infantry  could  now  he 
distinctly  seen  advancing  over  the  plains  from  the 
direction  of  Culpepper,  to  the  rescue  of  their  fairly- 
beaten  cavalry.  But  it  was  too  late  for  them,  for  we 
had  won  a splendid  victory,  and  had  gained  all  the 
information  of  Rebel  movements  which  we  desired  to 
obtain.  Under  cover  of  the  night  we  re-crossed  the 
Rappahannock  in  safety. 

The  whole  command  had  lost  about  five  hundred- 
men,  and  we  brought  over  with  us  one  hundred  pris- 
oners. In  the  early  part  of  the  engagement,  fell 
Colonel  Davis,  of  the  Eighth  New  York  Cavalry,  who 
was  instantly  killed.  His  loss  was  a subject  of  gen- 
eral lamentation.  He  had  distinguished  himself  for 
great  sagacity,  wonderful  powers  of  endurance,  and 
unsurpassed  bravery.  He  it  was  who  led  the  cavalry 
safely  from  Harper’s  Ferry,  just  before  Miles’  surren 
der  of  the  place,  and  who,  on  his  way  to  Pennsylvania, 
captured  Longstreet’s  ammunition  train. 

Among  our  wounded  was  Colonel  Percy  Wyndham. 
The  enemy’s  killed  included  Colonel  Saul  Williams, 
of  the  Second  North  Carolina,  and  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Frank  Hampton,  of  the  South  Carolina  Cavalry.  They 
acknowledged  a loss  of  sis  hundred  men. 

Two  important  ends  were  reached  by  this  advance ; 
namely,  first,  a cavalry  raid  contemplated  by  Stuart, 
who  had  massed  his  forces  near  Culpepper,  was  utterly 
frustrated ; and  second,  General  Pleasanton  ascer- 
tained conclusively,  that  General  Lee  was  marching 
his  army  northward,  with  the  evident  design  of  in- 


170  BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 

vading  the  Northern  States.  Indeed,  it  was  a suspi- 
cion of  such  a movement  that  led  General  Hooker  to 
order  the  reconnoissance. 

The  day  following  this  glorious  fight,  in  which  the 
men  of  the  North  had  proved  themselves  to  be  more 
than  a match  for  the  boasted  Southern  chivalry,  and 
had  gained  a name  which  placed  Pleasanton’s  com- 
mand at  the  head  of  the  world’s  cavalry  forces,  Pleas- 
anton was  made  a Major-General,  and  Kilpatrick  a 
Brigadier.  Their  stars  were  well  deserved  and 
proudly  won. 

Third  Brandy  Station. 

On  the  eleventh  of  September,  1863,  General  Meade 
ordered  the  cavalry  to  be  withdrawn  from  the  various 
picket  posts  along  the  Rappahannock,  and  instructed 
to  be  in  readiness  to  take  the  advance  in  a forward 
movement  against  the  enemy.  At  an  early  hour  on 
the  following  morning  the  entire  cavalry  corps,  acting 
as  vanguard  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  was  ad- 
vancing towards  the  Rappahannock. 

In  order  that  the  enemy  might  not  be  prematurely 
warned  of  our  designs,  the  several  commands  were 
ordered  to  make  as  little  noise  as  possible.  Conse- 
quently, the  bugle-calls  were  dispensed  with,  and  the 
officers  conveyed  their  orders  from  rank  to  rank  in  a 
whisper. 

The  three  division  commanders,  Buford,  Gregg, 
and  Kilpatrick,  were  instructed  to  cross  the  river  as 
follows  : — Gregg  at  Sulphur  Springs,  Buford  at  Rap- 
pahannock Bridge,  and  Kilpatrick  at  Kelly’s  Ford. 

At  six  o’clock  in  the  morning,  the  Harris  Light 
plunged  into  the  river  at  Kelly’s  Ford,  leading  the 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNI  OH. 


171 


advance  as  usual,  when  an  engagement  was  expected 
at  Brandy  Station  ; — in  fact,  the  officers  and  men  of 
the  Harris  Light  had  become  so  familiar  with  this 
field  by  former  experiences  here  that  it  was  unques- 
tionably policy  on  the  part  of  the  commander  to  assign 
to  our  regiment  the  work  of  measuring  the  ground 
and  testing  the  strength  of  the  enemy. 

A strong  detachment  of  Stuart’s  cavalry,  consisting 
of  pickets  and  reserves,  opposed  our  crossing  with 
dogged  pertinacity,  but  finally,  yielding  to  our  supe- 
rior numbers  and  to  the  deadly  accuracy  of  our  car- 
bines, gave  way.  We  then  moved  in  the  direction 
of  Brandy  Station.  The  farther  we  advanced  the 
stronger  grew  the  ever-accumulating  force  of  the 
enemy,  who  disputed  every  inch  of  ground  with 
great  stubbornness.  On  arriving  near  the  Station  we 
found  the  enemy  in  strong  force,  with  artillery  posted 
on  the  surrounding  hills.  We  saw  clearly  that  a third 
cavalry  fight  was  destined  to  be  fought  on  this  historic 
field,  and  we  began  to  make  preparations  for  the 
onset.  It  was  the  writer’s  privilege  to  command  and 
lead  the  advance  squadron  against  the  Confederates 
in  this  fight,  and  I shall  not  soon  forget  the  circum- 
stance of  forming  my  command  after  the  first  onset, 
for  but  a moment  after  the  formation,  and  while 
sitting  on  my  horse  in  front  of  the  line,  a solid  shot 
from  the  Rebel  artillery  came  crushing  through  our 
ranks,  killing  three  men  and  four  horses.  The  con- 
cussion of  the  ball  nearly  drew  me  from  my  horse, 
and  when  I turned  in  my  saddle  to  mark  the  result, 
saw  that  not  more  than  the  width  of  a sabre  had 
saved  me  from  sharing  the  fate  of  the  poor  men  who 
had  been  struck  by  the  deadly  missile. 


172 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


We  had  not  been  fighting  long  before  the  other 
divisions  joined  us.  At  their  approach,  great  enthu- 
siasm among  our  boys  prevailed.  Before  our  com- 
bined force  the  enemy  was  swept  from  those  plains 
like  chaff  before  the  whirlwind.  They  fled  in  the 
direction  of  Culpepper,  a naturally  strong  and  now 
fortified  position,  where  we  knew  we  must  soon  en- 
counter the  Rebel  chivalry  en  masse  upon  their  chosen 
field. 

From  Brandy  Station,  General  Pleasanton  directed 
Kilpatrick  to  make  a detour  via  Stevensburg,  in  order 
to  operate  as  a flanking  column  upon  the  enemy  at 
the  proper  time.  With  the  First  and  Second  Divisions, 
Pleasanton  pushed  straight  on  to  Culpepper,  driving 
the  enemy  before  him  without  much  resistance  until 
within  about  a mile  of  the  town.  Here  our  advance 
was  effectually  checked.  A fearful  duel  now  took  place 
with  varying  fortune.  For  some  time  the  enemy 
baffled  all  our  efforts  to  dislodge  him  from  his  strong 
position,  and  our  men  began  to  look  wishfully  for  the 
flankers,  whcnlo!  Kilpatrick’s  flags  were  seen  ad- 
vancing from  the  direction  of  Stevensburg,  and  his 
artillery  was  soon  thundering  on  the  Confederate  flank 
and  rear.  Under  this  unexpected  and  well-directed 
fire,  that  portion  of  the  enemy  which  had  kept  our 
main  column  at  bay,  fell  back  in  confusion  into  the 
town ; and  before  they  had  time  to  re-form  their  broken 
lines,  the  Harris  Light,  Fifth  New  York,  First  Ver- 
mont, and  First  Michigan,  led  by  General  Custer, 
dashed  upon  the  “Johnnies”  in  the  streets,  throwing 
the  boast  of  the  chivalry  into  a prefect  rout.  Many 
prisoners  were  captured,  more  or  less  material  of  war, 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


173 


and  three  Blakely  guns.  The  Rebels  retreated  hastily 
in  the  direction  of  Pony  Mountain  and  Rapidan  Bridge, 
whither  they  were  closely  pursued  by  our  victorious 
squadrons.  The  day  following  this  brilliant  advance, 
Pleasanton  occupied  all  the  fords  of  the  Rapidan, 
extending  his  pickets  on  our  right  as  far  forward  as 
the  Robertson  and  Hazel  Rivers. 

Fourth  Brandy  Station. 

A little  after  sunrise  on  the  tenth  of  October,  1863, 
the  Confederates  in  heavy  force  came  down  upon  our 
pickets  along  the  Robertson  River,  driving  us  back  in 
haste  and  occupying  the  fords.  The  flank  movement 
of  General  Lee  was  fully  understood.  He  had  crossed 
the  Rapidan,  advanced  to  Madison  Court  House,  and 
was  lapping  around  our  right  wing  threatening  it  with 
destruction.  Quick  work  on  our  part  was  now  neces- 
sary. Swift  messengers  from  officers  high  in  com- 
mand, brought  orders  to  retire  with  promptness,  but 
in  good  order  if  possible. 

Sharp  skirmishing  took  place  at  the  river,  and  the 
successive  crack  of  carbines  afforded  the  music  of  our 
march  to  James  City,  where  the  conflict  deepened 
into  a battle,  which  raged  with  fury  and  slaughter. 
The  enemy,  conscious  of  having  outgeneraled  us  in 
this  instance,  and  having  at  least  a temporary  advan- 
tage, was  bold  and  defiant.  He  was  met,  however, 
with  corresponding  vigor.  Those  contesting  legions, 
which  had  so  often  measured  sabres  in  the  fearful 
charge  and  hand-to-hand  encounter,  again  appealed  to 
the  God  of  battle,  and  wrestled  with  Herculean 
strength  for  the  mastery.  Night  came  on  at  length 
to  hush  the  strife,  and  the  weary  men  and  horses 
sought  repose  from  the  bloody  fray. 


174 


DA  TTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


With  the  first  pencilings  of  the  morning  light  oi 
October  eleventh,  we  took  np  our  line  of  inarch 
towards  the  Rappahannock.  Skirmishing  continued 
nearly  every  step  of  the  way.  On  the  Sperryville 
pike  to  Culpepper,  we  were  closely  pursued  and  heavily 
pressed.  At  Culpepper  the  corps  separated.  Gregg? 
who  had  come  by  way  of  Cedar  Mountain,  passed  out 
on  the  road  to  Sulphur  Springs.  Buford  moved  in  the 
direction  of  Stevensburg,  leaving  Kilpatrick  alone  on 
the  main  thoroughfare  along  the  railroad  line.  Kil- 
patrick, accompanied  by  Pleasanton,  had  scarcely  left 
Culpepper,  when  Hampton’s  legions  made  a furious 
attack  upon  his  rear-guard,  with  the  hope  of  breaking 
through  upon  the  main  column  to  scatter  it,  or  of  so 
retarding  its  progress  that  a flanking  column  might 
fall  upon  him  ere  he  could  reach  the  safe  shore  of  the 
Rappahannock. 

Our  infantry,  which  yesterday  occupied  this  ground, 
had  retired,  leaving  the  cavalry  to  struggle  out  of  the 
toils  of  the  enemy  as  best  it  could. 

Gallantly  repelling  every  attack  of  the  enemy,  our 
command  moved  on,  without  expending  much  oi  its 
time  and  material,  until  opposite  the  residence  of  Hon. 
John  Minor  Botts,  where  a few  regiments  suddenly 
wheeled  about,  and,  facing  the  pursuing  foe,  charged 
upon  them  with  pistols  and  sabres,  giving  them  a se- 
vere check  and  an  unexpected  repulse. 

On  arriving  at  Brandy  Station,  Kilpatrick  found 
himself  in  a most  critical  situation,  with  an  accumula- 
tion of  formidable  difficulties  on  hand,  which  threat- 
ened his  annihilation. 

Buford,  who  had  been  sharply  pursued  by  Fitzhugh 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION.  ]J5 

Lee’s  division  over  tlie  plains  of  Stevensburg,  had  re- 
tired more  rapidly  than  Kilpatrick,  and,  unaware  of 
his  comrade’s  danger,  had  suffered  Lee  to  plant  his 
batteries  on  the  high  hills  which  commanded  Kilpat- 
rick’s right,  while  the  rebel  troopers,  in  three  heavy 
lines  of  battle,  held  the  only  route  by  which  Kilpatrick 
could  retreat.  Lee’s  sharp  shooters  also  occupied  the 
woods  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Kilpatrick’s  col- 
umns, where  they  were  making  themselves  a source 
of  danger  and  great  annoyance.  To  increase  the  dan- 
ger of  the  situation,  Stuart,  by  hard  marching,  had 
swung  around  to  Kilpatrick’s  left,  and  had  taken  pos- 
session of  a range  of  hills,  planted  batteries,  and  was 
preparing  to  charge  down  upon  the  surrounded  divi- 
sion below. 

This  was  a situation  to  try  the  stoutest  hearts. 
Nothing  daunted,  however,  by  this  terrific  array  of  the 
enemy,  Kilpatrick  displayed  that  decision  and  daring 
which  have  ever  characterized  him  as  a great  cavalry 
leader,  and  proved  himself  worthy  of  the  brave  men 
who  composed  his  command.  His  preparation  for 
the  grand  charge  was  soon  completed. 

Forming  his  division  into  three  lines  of  battle,  he 
assigned  the  right  to  Davies,  the  left  to  Custer,'  and 
placing  himself  with  Pleasanton  in  the  center  ad- 
vanced with  unwavering  determination  to  the  contest. 
Having  approached  to  within  a few  yards  of  the 
enemy’s  lines  in  his  front,  he  ordered  his  band  to 
strike  up  a national  air,  to  whose  spirit-stirring  strains 
was  joined  the  blast  of  scores  of  bugles,  ringing  forth 
the  charge. 

With  his  usual  daring,  Davies  was  foremost  in  the 


176 


BATTLES  FOR  TIIE  UNION. 


fray,  leading  his  command  for  the  fourth  time  on  this 
memorable  held.  To  his  men  he  addressed  these  stir- 
ring words  : “ Soldiers  of  the  First  Brigade  ! I know 
you  have  not  forgotten  the  example  of  your  brave  com- 
rades, who,  in  past  engagements  here , Avcrc  not  afraid 
to  die  in  defence  of  the  ‘ old  flag’.” 

Custer,  the  daring,  terrible  demon  that  he  was  in 
battle,  pulled  off  his  cap  and  handed  it  to  his  orderly, 
then  dashed  madly  forward  in  the  charge,  while  his 
yellow  locks  floated  like  pennants  on  the  breeze.  Pen- 
nington and  Elder  handled  their  batteries  with  great 
agility  and  success,  at  times  opening  huge  gaps  in  the 
serried  ranks  of  the  enemy. 

Fired  to  an  almost  divine  potency,  and  with  a ma- 
jestic madness,  this  band  of  heroic  troopers  shook  the 
air  witli  their  battle-cry,  and  dashed  forward  to  meet 
the  hitherto  exultant  foe. 

Ambulances,  forges,  and  cannon,  Avith  pack  horses 
and  mules,  non-combatants,  and  others,  all  joined  to 
swell  the  mighty  tide.  Brave  hearts  greAv  braver,  and 
faltering  ones  Avaxcd  Avarmer  and  stronger,  until  pride 
of  country  had  touched  this  raging  sea  of  thought  and 
emotion,  kindling  an  unconquerable  principle,  which 
emphatically  affirmed  every  man  a hero  unto  death. 
So  swiftly  SAvept  forward  this  tide  of  animated  poAver 
that  the  Rebel  lines  broke  in  wild  dismay  before  the 
uplifted  and  firmly-grasped  sabres  of  these  unflinching 
veterans,  who,  feeling  that  life  and  country  were  at 
stake,  risked  them  both  upon  the  fearful  issue. 

Kilpatrick  thus  escaped  disaster,  defeated  his  pur- 
suers, captured  several  pieces  of  the  enemy’s  artillery, 
and  presented  to  the  beholders  one  of  the  grandest 
scenes  ever  witnessed  in  the  New  World. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION.  p-jy 

“ By  Heaven  ! it  was  a splendid  sight  to  see,  for  one 
who  had  no  friend  or  brother  there.” 

No  one  who  looked  upon  that  wonderful  panorama, 
can  ever  forget  it.  On  the  great  field  were  riderless 
horses  and  dying  men;  clouds  of  dust  from  solid  shot 
and  bursting  shell  occasionally  obscured  the  sky; 
broken  caissons  and  upturned  ambulances  obstructed 
the  way,  while  long  lines  of  cavalry  were  pressing  for. 
ward  in  the  charge,  with  their  drawn  sabres  glistening 
in  the  bright  sunlight.  Far  beyond  the  scene  of  tu- 
mult were  the  quiet  dark  green  forests  which  skirt  the 
banks  of  the  Rappahannock.  The  poet  Haverd,  in 
his  “ Scauderberg  ”,  has  well  described  the  scene  ; 

Hark  ! the  death-denouncing  trumpet  sounds 
The  fatal  charge,  and  shouts  proclaim  the  onset. 
Destruction  rushes  dreadful  to  the  field 
And  bathes  itself  in  blood : havoc  let  loose 
Now  undistinguished,  rages  all  around : 

While  Ruin,  seated  on  her  dreary  throne, 

Sees  the  plain  strewed  with  subjects  truly  hers, 
Breathless  and  cold.” 

The  Rebel  cavalry,  undoubtedly  ashamed  of  their 
own  conduct  and  defeat,  reorganized  their  broken 
ranks,  and  again  advanced  upon  Kilpatrick  and  Bu- 
ford whose  divisions  had  united  to  repel  the  attack. 

For  at  least  two  long  hours  of  slaughter  these  op- 
posing squadrons  dashed  upon  one  another  over  this 
historic  field.  Charges  and  counter-charges  followed 
in  quick  succession,  and  at  times  the  “grey”  and  the 
“ blue”  were  so  confusedly  commingled  together,  that 
it  was  difficult  to  conjecture  how  they  could  regain 
their  appropriate  places.  Quite  a number  of  prisoners 


178 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


were  made  on  both  sides.  It  was  a scene  of  wild  con- 
motion  and  blood.  This  carnival  continued  until  late 
at  night,  when  the  exhausted  and  beaten  foe  sank  back 
upon  safer  grounds  to  rest,  while  our  victorious  braves, 
crowned  with  undying  laurels,  gathered  up  their 
wounded  and  dead  companions,  and  unmolested, 
crossed  the  Rappahannock. 

In  reflecting  upon  the  successive  engagements  at 
Brandy  Station,  the  author  feels  a natural  and,  I trust, 
a commendable  pride  when  he  remembers  that  in  each 
instance  he  shared  the  varied  fortunes  of  his  regiment 
on  this  field. 

In  the  first  action,  on  the  twentieth  of  August,  1862, 
I was  a corporal  in  the  front  rank  of  the  first  squad- 
ron that  charged  the  Confederate  cavalry  under  Stuart 
My  horse  was  wounded  in  the  neck  in  this  charge  and 
the  pommel  of  my  saddle  and  canteen  were  struck 
with  bullets. 

On  the  ninth  of  June,  1863,  being  at  that  time  a 
sergeant,  I was  chief  of  the  first  platoon  of  the  first 
battalion  that  crossed  the  Rappahannock  at  Kelly’s 
Fold  and  with  my  platoon  acted  as  advance  guard  to 
the  column.  Accompanied  by  Lieutenant  Estes  of 
Kilpatrick’s  staff,  we  pushed  the  Rebel  pickets  and 
skirmishers  back  to  the  Station  where  we  joined  the 
regiment  in  time  for  the  grand  charge  of  Kilpatrick’s 
brigade. 

The  twelfth  of  September,  a Lieutenant  command- 
ing my  company,  I was  again  with  the  first  battalion 
that  crossed  the  Rappahannock  and  was  sitting  on  my 
horse  in  front  of  the  regiment  after  its  formation  for 
a charge  when  the  first  shot  fired  by  the  Confederate 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION.  179 

artillery  struck  our  ranks  as  described  in  my  account 
of  the  Third  Brandy  Station. 

On  the  eleventh  of  October  following,  my  command 
having  been  increased  to  a squadron,  I was  with  the 
battalion  commanded  by  Captain  Grinton,  and  being 
cut  off  from  the  corps  by  the  sudden  junction  of  the 
columns  of  Stuart  and  Lee,  were  compelled  to  cut  our 
way  through.  My  command  being  broken  and  scat- 
tered in  this  fight,  I acted  as  a volunteer  aid  to  General 
Davies  and  in  the  course  of  the  engagement  my  horse 
was  shot  under  me.  I received  a sabre  stroke  on  the 
shoulder,  two  bullets  through  my  hat,  and  found  after 
the  affair  was  over,  that  my  sabre  scabbard  had  been 
split  by  a bullet  or  fragment  of  a shell.  In  the  even- 
ing of  this  day  General  Davies  sent  Captain  Pokeepsie 
of  his  staff  to  thank  me  for  the  personal  services  I had 
rendered  him  at  Brandy  Station,  and  to  say  that  I 
should  have  the  next  promotion  in  the  Harris  Light 
Cavalry. 


8 


CHAPTER  XIX 


MANASSAS,  OR  SECOND 
BULL  PIU  INT. 

The  Opening  Scene. — Sigel  in  the  Foreground. — Sharp  Skirmish  on 
the  Twenty-eighth. — Fitz-John  Porter’s  Delay. — Attack  on  the 
Twenty-ninth. — Bayonet  Charge  of  Grover’s  Brigade. — Thorough- 
fare Gap  Left  Open. — The  Enemy  Re-enforced. — Victory  on  the 
Twenty-ninth. — Where  Was  Porter? — Pope’s  Despatch. — Battle  of 
the  Thirtieth. — Exhausted  Troops. — Out  of  Rations. — Pope  Dis- 
couraged.— Our  Forces  at  Centreville. — Personal  Experience. — A 
Shell  from  the  Enemy  and  What  it  Did. — An  Unknown  Hero. — 
“ Tear  off  Your  Chevrons.” — Successful  Stand. — Charge  of  the 
Hams  Light  Cavalry. 

ON  the  twenty-ninth  of  August,  1862,  the  storm  of 
battle  again  broke  over  the  Plains  of  Manassas 
and  surged  furiously  along  the  borders  of  Bull  Run 
Creek  and  down  the  Warrenton  pike.  The  figure  of 
General  Franz  Sigel  stands  out  in  bold  relief  against 
the  background  of  battle,  the  first  actor  appearing  on 
the  scene  in  this  drama  of  war  and  death. 

The  time  is  daybreak,  and  the  rosy  light  of  early 
dawn,  so  peaceful  and  so  pure,  flushes  the  sky  in 
painful  contrast  to  the  scene  of  strife  and  bloodshed 
below. 

At  noon  on  the  day  previous,  General  Pope  had  or- 
dered Reno,  Kearny,  and  Hooker  to  follow  Jackson 
who,  through  the  miscarriage  of  well-laid  plans,  had 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UN IOFT. 


181 


been  allowed  to  escape  in  the  direction  of  Centerville. 
McDowell’s  command,  then  on  the  way  to  Manassas, 
was  ordered  to  march  to  Centerville,  while  Porter 
was  directed  to  come  forward  to  Manassas  Junction. 
The  orders  were  promptly  executed  by  the  various 
commands  excepting  that  of  Fitz  John  Porter,  who 
unaccountably  on  loyal  principles,  remained  inactive 
during  the  ensuing  contest.  Kearny  drove  the  enemy 
out  of  Centreville  and  in  them  retreat  along  the  War- 
renton  road  they  encountered  the  division  of  King, 
McDowell’s  advance,  marching  eastward  to  intercept 
them. 

A sharp  fight  took  place,  terminating  to  the  ad- 
vantage of  neither,  and  at  night  the  contestants 
bivouacked  near  the  battle  field. 

On  the  night  of  the  twenty-eighth,  Pope’s  forces 
were  so  disposed  that  twenty-five  thousand  men  under 
McDowell,  Sigel,  and  Reynolds,  were  ready  to  attack 
Jackson  from  the  south  and  west,  and  the  corps  of 
Reno,  Heintzelman,  and  Porter,  consisting  of  an  equal 
number  of  troops,  were  to  complete  the  attack  from 
the  east.  Lee  was  pushing  forward  his  forces  to  sup- 
port Jackson  at  Thoroughfare  Gap,  and  it  was  neces- 
sary for  the  Union  army  to  use  all  possible  celerity  of 
movement  in  order  to  make  the  attack  before  the  main 
body  of  the  Confederate  army  under  Lee,  could  come 
up.  But  this  combination  failed  like  many  another, 
and  during  the  night  King’s  division  fell  back  towards 
Manassas  Junction,  at  which  place  Porter’s  corps  had 
recently  arrived,  and  the  road  to  Gainsville  and  Thor- 
oughfare Gap  was  thus  left  open  to  Jackson.  A new 
arrangement  of  troops  became  therefore  necessary. 


182 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


Soon  after  Sigel’s  attack  at  daylight  on  the  twenty- 
ninth,  Heintzelman’s  two  divisions  came  up  and  Jack- 
son  fell  back  to  the  neighborhood  of  Sudley  Springs, 
with  his  right  just  south  of  the  Warrenton  turnpike. 

Kettell,  in  his  history  of  the  “ Great  Rebellion,” 
describes  this  part  of  the  battle  as  follows  : — 

“ Upon  arriving  on  the  field  at  noon,  Pope,  seeing 
that  Jackson  was  hard  pushed  by  that  portion  of  the 
Union  army  which  had  come  into  action,  sent  urgent 
orders  to  McDowell  and  Porter  to  advance  rapidly  on 
the  left,  and  turn  the  Confederate  right  flank.  Ac- 
cording to  the  calculation  of  General  Pope,  they  ought 
to  reach  their  new  positions  towards  the  close  of 
the  afternoon,  and  pending  their  arrival  the  tired 
troops  of  Sigel,  Heintzelman,  and  Reno  were  allowed 
a few  hours’  rest.  Soon  after  two  o’clock  p.  M.,  news 
arrived  that  McDowell  would  be  on  the  field  in  a 
couple  of  hours,  and  at  half  past  four  peremptory  on 
ders  were  sent  to  Porter  to  turn  the  enemy’s  rear. 
Supposing  that  these  orders  would  be  fulfilled,  Pope, 
soon  after  five  P.  M.,  directed  Heintzelman  and  Reno 
to  re-commence  the  attack.  It  was  made  with  great 
energy,  Grover’s  Brigade  of  Hooker’s  Division  distin- 
guishing itself  by  a determined  bayonet  charge  which 
broke  through  two  of  J ackson’s lines.  The  latter  again 
fell  back,  leaving  the  battle-field  and  his  dead  and 
wounded  in  the  hands  of  the  Federal  troops,  and  at 
sunset,  McDowell’s  troops  came  into  action  along  the 
Warrenton  turnpike. 

By  this  time,  however,  the  troops  of  Lee  had  begun 
to  arrive  on  the  field,  their  progress  through  Thor- 
oughfare Gap  having  been  ineffectually  opposed  by 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


183 


Ricket’s  Division  of  McDowell’s  Corps,  left  there  for 
the  purpose  of  delaying  their  march.  The  Rebel  ad- 
vance under  Longstreet  offered  such  a determined  re- 
sistance to  the  Union  left  wing,  that  the  night  of  the 
twenty-ninth  fell  on  a drawn  battle  on  that  portion  of 
the  field — the  National  arms  having  been  decidedly 
triumphant  on  the  right.” 

But  where,  during  all  this  time  was  Fitz  John  Por. 
ter  and  his  command  ? "Why  did  he  remain  passive 
within  sight  and  sound  of  the  battle,  at  Manassas 
Junction,  disregarding  the  repeated  and  imperative 
orders  of  Pope  ? Why  did  he  sit  placidly  in  his  tent 
and  look  out  upon  the  hurrying  troops  of  Longstreet 
hastening  to  aid  Jackson,  and  yet  make  no  move  to 
check  their  advance,  in  accordance  with  his  instruc- 
tions ? He  said  that  the  enemy  was  encountered  in 
flank  in  the  direction  of  Gainsville,  and  that  he  was 
compelled  to  fall  back  towards  Manassas.  Pope,  how 
ever,  disbelieved  this  excuse.  “ I believed  then  as  I 
am  very  sure  now”,  said  the  General  in  his  official  re- 
port, “ that  it  was  easily  practicable  for  him  to  have 
turned  the  right  flank  of  Jackson,  and  to  have  fallen 
upon  his  rear  ; that  if  he  had  done  so,  we  should  have 
gained  a decided  victory  over  the  army  under  Jackson, 
before  he  could  have  been  joined  by  any  of  the  forces 
of  Longstreet,  and  that  the  army  of  General  Lee 
would  have  been  so  crippled  and  checked  by  the  de- 
struction of  this  large  force,  as  to  have  been  no  longer 
in  condition  to  prosecute  further  operations  of  an 
agressive  character.”  But  despite  the  lethargy  of 
Porter  and  the  success  of  Longstreet  in  effecting  a 
union  with  Jackson,  the  advantage  of  the  day’s  fight 


184 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 


was  so  plainly  with  our  forces  that  after  the  firing  had 
ceased  Pope  sent  the  following  despatch  to  Washing- 
ton : — 


“Head-Quarters,  Field  of  Battle, 
Grovetton,  near  Gainsyille,  Aug.  30th,  1862. 

“To Major  General Halleck,  General  in  Chief,  Washington,  D.  C. 

“We  fought  a terrible  battle  here  yesterday  with  the  com- 
bined forces  of  the  enemy,  which  lasted  with  continuous  fury 
from  daylight  until  after  dark,  by  which  time  the  enemy  was 
driven  from  the  field  which  we  now  occupy. 

Our  troops  are  too  much  exhausted  to  push  matters,  but 
shall  do  so  in  the  course  of  the  morning,  as  soon  as  Fitz  John 
Porter’s  corps  come  up  from  Manassas. 

“The  enemy  is  still  in  our  front,  but  badly  used  up. 

“We  have  lost  not  less  than  eight  thousand  men,  killed  and 
wounded,  and  from  the  appearance  of  the  field,  the  enemy  have 
lost  at  least  two  to  our  one.  He  stood  strictly  on  the  defen- 
sive and  every  assault  was  made  by  ourselves. 

“ The  battle  was  fought  on  the  identical  battle  field  of  Bull 
Run,  which  greatly  increased  the  enthusiasm  of  our  men. 

“ Our  troops  have  behaved  splendidly. 

“ The  news  just  reaches  me  from  the  front  that  the  enemy  is 
retreating  towards  the  mountains.  I go  forward  at  once  to  see. 

“ We  have  made  great  captures,  but  I am  not  able  yet  to  form 
an  idea  of  their  extent. 

“JOHN  POPE, 

“ Major-General  Commanding.” 

Our  losses  in  this  day’s  battle  were  not  less  than 
six  or  eight  thousand,  and  those  of  the  enemy  were, 
no  doubt,  considerably  greater. 

From  the  night  of  the  twenty-ninth  up  to  ten  o’clock 
of  the  thirtieth,  the  movements  of  the  enemy  all  indi- 
cated retreat.  Their  left  wing  receded  towards  Gains- 
ville,  from  which  direction  the  forces  under  Lee  swept 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


185 


through  Thoroughfare  Gap  in  hourly  increasing  num- 
bers. Thus  the  Confederate  army  was  strengthened 
by  large  reinforcements,  while  the  Union  troops  suf- 
fered proportional  depletion  from  the  almost  continu- 
ous labors  of  the  previous  ten  days.  Cavalry  and  ar- 
tillery horses  had  remained  saddled  and  in  harness 
almost  without  interruption  during  those  ten  days,  and 
for  two  days  had  been  without  forage.  In  addition  to 
this,  the  troops  were  actually  suffering  for  rations.  Tell 
egram  after  telegram  had  been  despatched  by  General 
Pope  for  forage,  rations,  and  ammunition.  The  availa- 
ble force  in  readiness  on  the  eventful  morning  of  the 
thirtieth  were  only  forty  thousand,  while  the  enemy 
confronted  us  with  an  army  twice  as  large.  Pope  had 
been  assured  that  the  corps  of  Franklin  and  Sumner 
should  be  hurried  forward  immediately ; but  they  did 
not  arrive.  Hour  after  hour  passed  by  and  yet  no  help 
came  for  the  worn  out  army  of  Virginia. 

At  last  the  following  dispatch  was  received  on  the 
morning  of  the  thirtieth  : — 

August  29th,  1862 — 8 P.  M. 

To  Commanding  Officer  at  Centremlle : 

I have  been  instructed  by  General  McClellan  to  inform 
you  that  he  will  have  all  the  available  wagons  at  Alexandria 
loaded  with  rations  for  your  troops,  and  all  of  the  cars,  also, 
as  soon  as  you  will  send  in  a cavalry  escort  to  Alexandria  as  a 
guard  to  the  train. 

Respectfully, 

W.  B.  FRANKLIN, 

Major-General  Commanding  Sixth  Corps. 

“ Such  a letter,”  said  General  Pope,  “ when  we 
were  fighting  the  enemy,  and  Alexandria  was  swarm- 
ing with  troops,  needs  no  comment. 


186 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


“ Bad  as  was  the  condition  of  our  cavalry,  1 was  in 
no  situation  to  spare  troops  from  the  front,  nor  could 
they  have  gone  to  Alexandria  and  returned  within  the 
time  by  which  we  must  have  had  provisions  or  fallen 
hack  in  the  direction  of  Washington.  Nor  do  I yet 
see  what  service  cavalry  could  have  rendered,  in 
guarding  railroad  trains.” 

But  if  General  Pope  was  discouraged  by  this  com- 
plication of  disaster  gradually  inclosing  him  in  its 
meshes,  he  did  not  sit  down  and  fold  his  hands  in 
idleness. 

Resolutely  he  went  about  re-arranging  the  tangled 
ends  of  this  sad  business.  He  determined  to  make 
the  best  fight  possible  with  his  limited  means,  and  en- 
deavor to  cripple  Lee  before  the  entire  southern  army 
could  arrive  on  the  field. 

As  rapidly  therefore  on  the  thirtieth  as  he  could 
bring  his  forces  into  action  he  advanced  to  the  attack, 
and  between  twelve  and  two  o’clock  both  wings  of  the 
Union  army  Avcre  in  line  of  battle.  As  fast  as  the 
troops  of  Lee  arrived  on  the  field  they  were  massed 
for  an  attack  on  the  Union  left,  and  Pope  therefore 
sti’engthened  that  part  of  his  line.  Porter  haAung 
come  up  at  last,  in  consequence  of  peremptory  orders, 
the  Union  left  was  Held  by  McDowell,  Porter,  and 
Sigel  who,  despite  the  swarming  masses  of  the  enemy 
hurled  against  them,  made  a determined  stand.  In 
front  of  Heitzelman  and  Reno  on  the  center  and 
right,  the  Confederates  Avere  in  such  force  that  it  was 
impossible  to  re-enforce  the  Union  left  until  late  in 
the  afternoon,  Avhen  Reno’s  command  went  to  their 
assistance.  The  left  had  by  this  time  fallen  back  a 


BATTLES  FUR  THE  UNION. 


187 


half  mile  and  darkness  now  came  between  the  con- 
tending armies  like  a black-robed  nun  petitioning 
peace. 

The  right  wing  of  the  Union  army  had  not  lost  an 
inch  of  ground  during  the  day.  Nevertheless  this 
army  was  worsted  in  its  most  unequal  contest. 

Before  the  tide  of  battle  ebbed  for  the  day,  General 
Pope  learned  that  Franklin’s  corps  was  near  Ccntre- 
ville,  followed  at  an  interval  of  four  miles  by  the 
corps  of  Sumner. 

But  his  men  were  too  much  exhausted  to  so  soon 
renew  the  battle,  and  he  accordingly  fell  back  across 
Bull  Run  to  the  heights  of  Centreville  where  an  effec- 
tive stand  could  be  made  against  the  enemy.  There- 
fore, between  the  hours  of  eight  and  twelve,  the  Union 
army  slowly  retired  to  its  new  position. 

The  Confederates  did  not  attempt  pursuit.  On  the 
morning  of  the  thirty-first,  the  Union  army  was  con- 
centrated about  Centreville,  with  out-lying  bodies  on 
the  road  to  Chantilly  and  Fairfax  Court-House. 

That  portion  of  this  battle-drama  whose  scenes  oc- 
curred under  my  own  observation  and  in  which  I was 
an  actor,  I recall  with  distinctness. 

Forms  forever  vanished  resume  once  more  their 
material  outlines  and  the  action  of  that  day  again 
comes  up  with  all  the  vividness  of  reality.  At  such 
times  the  fire  seems  yet  to  glow  in  the  ashes  of  these 
long  dead  events,  and  shadowy  heroes  figure  with 
added  light  on  the  field  of  their  renown. 

On  the  eventful  thirtieth,  our  artillery  occupied  the 
crest  of  a hill  a short  distance  beyond  Bull  Run  creek, 
the  cavalry  regiments  under  Bayard  being  stationed 

8* 


188 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 


next  and  the  infantry  drawn  np  in  a line  behind  the 
cavalry. 

A short  time  before  the  battle  opened,  I was  sent 
to  a distant  part  of  the  field  to  deliver  an  order.  An 
ominous  stillness  pervaded  the  ranks.  The  pickets 
as  I passed  them  were  silent,  with  faces  firmly  set 
towards  the  front,  and  the  shadow  of  coming  battle 
hovered  portentiously,  like  a cloud  with  veiled  light- 
nings, over  the  Union  lines. 

It  was  the  calm  which  precedes  a storm,  and  the 
thunder-bolts  of  war  fell  fast  and  heavy  when  the 
storm  at  length  broke  over  our  heads.  I had  just 
taken  my  place  in  the  cavalry  ranks  when  a shell  from 
the  enemy’s  guns  whizzed  over  our  heads  with  a long 
and  spiteful  shriek.  One  of  the  horses  attached  to  a 
caisson  was  in  the  path  of  the  fiery  missile  and  the 
next  instant  the  animal’s  head  was  severed  entirely 
from  his  neck.  The  deathly  silence  was  now  broken, 
and  more  shot  and  shell  followed  in  quick  succession, 
ploughing  through  the  startled  air  and  falling  with 
destructive  force  among  the  Union  troops.  This  iron 
hail  from  the  guns  of  the  enemy  was  composed  in 
part  of  old  pieces  of  chain  and  broken  iron  rails  as 
well  as  the  shot  and  shell  ordinarily  used.  Our  artillery 
soon  replied,  but  from  some  unexplained  cause  the 
Union  troops  in  this  portion  of  our  line  broke  and 
fled  in  panic  before  a shot  had  been  fired  from  the 
muskets  of  the  enemy.  This  battle,  like  the  first 
Bull  Run,  had  been  well  planned,  and  every  effort 
which  good  generalship  and  good  judgment  could 
dictate  in  order  to  insure  success,  had  been  made  by 
Generals  Pope  and  McDowell. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


189 


At  this  crisis  of  affairs,  the  cavalry  under  Bayard 
and  Kilpatrick  were  ordered  to  the  rear  to  stem,  if 
possible,  the  tide  of  retreat,  hut  the  effort  was  well 
nigh  fruitless.  Regiment  after  regiment  surged  by 
in  one  continuous  and  almost  resistless  wave.  A 
cheer  was  heard  to  go  up  from  the  Confederate  ranks 
as  Stuart’s  cavalry  charged  us,  and  though  we  re- 
turned the  charge  it  did  not  stop  the  panic  which  had 
taken  possession  of  our  troops. 

One  of  its  causes  was  undoubtedly  the  supposition 
that  the  enemy  was  executing  a flank  movement  on 
our  left.  In  forty-five  minutes  from  the  beginning  of 
the  battle,  this  part  of  our  army  was  in  full  retreat ; 
but  the  determined  stand  made  by  Heintzelman  and 
also  one  or  two  heroic  attempts  to  stop  the  backward 
surging  wave,  saved  our  forces  from  utter  rout  and 
possible  capture. 

As  soon  as  the  Union  batteries  were  captured  by 
the  enemy,  they  were  turned  upon  us,  in  addition  to 
their  own  guns,  and  afterwards,  on  came  Stuart  in  a 
headlong  charge,  with  one  of  those  hideous  yells  pecu- 
liar to  the  Southern  chivalry.  With  thousands  of 
others  who  were  rapidly  retiring,  I had  re-crossed 
Bull  Run  creek  when  my  attention  was  arrested  by  a 
mounted  officer  who  sprang  out  from  the  mass  of  fly- 
ing men  and  waving  his  sword  above  his  head  called 
on  every  one,  irrespective  of  regiment,  to  rally  around 
him  and  face  the  foe.  He  wore  no  golden  leaf,  no 
silver  star ; he  was  appealing  to  officers  higher  in 
command  than  himself,  who,  mixed  with  the  crowd  ? 
were  hurrying  by.  His  manner,  tense  with  excite- 
ment, was  strung  up  to  the  pitch  of  heroism,  and  his 


190 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


presence  was  like  an  inspiration  as  lie  stood  outside 
the  mass,  a mark  for  the  bullets  of  the  enemy. 

I halted,  filled  with  admiration  for  so  noble  an  ex- 
ample of  valor,  and  then  rode  slowly  towards  him. 
Seeing  me,  lie  galloped  forward  to  meet  me  and  asked 
my  aid  in  making  a stand  against  the  enemy. 

“ Sergeant,”  said  he,  “ you  are  just  in  time.  As 
you  are  mounted,  you  can  be  of  great  service  in  rally- 
ing these  men  for  a stand  on  this  ground.” 

“Lieutenant,”  I replied,  “ they  will  not  listen  to 
the  wearer  of  these  chevrons.” 

“ Tear  off  your  chevrons,”  said  this  unknown  hero, 
- — “ the  infantry  will  not  know  you  from  a field  offi- 
cer— and  get  as  many  men  to  turn  their  muskets  to 
the  front  as  you  can.” 

“ Lieutenant,”  I replied,  “ I will  do  all  I can  to  help 
you,”  and  the  insignia  of  non-commissioned  rank  was 
immediately  stripped  from  my  sleeves. 

I put  myself  under  his  command  and  fought  with 
him  until  he  gave  the  order  to  retire.  While  he  was 
talking  with  me  he  was  at  the  same  time  calling  on 
the  men  to  make  a stand,  telling  them  they  could 
easily  hold  the  position.  He  seemed  to  take  in  the 
situation  at  a glance. 

The  enemy  having  advanced  to  the  first  crest  of 
hills,  were  throwing  their  infantry  forward  with  full 
force,  and  with  the  three  thousand  or  more  men  who 
rallied  around  this  heroic  officer,  a stand  was  made 
on  the  rising  ground  north  of  Bull  Run  from  which 
the  advance  of  the  enemy  was  opposed.  We  held 
this  position  for  half  an  hour,  which  gave  considerable 
time  for  re-organization. 


BATTLES  FOR  TUE  UNI  OX. 


191 


While  riding  along  the  line,  helping  my  unknown 
superior  as  best  I could,  my  horse  was  shot  under  me, 
— the  first  experience  of  this  kind  which  had  befallen 
me. 

Just  as  the  disaster  was  occurring  which  culminated 
in  retreat,  General  McDowell  on  his  white  horse,  gal- 
loped up  to  the  guns  behind  which  Heintzelman  was 
blazing  destruction  on  the  Confederates.  Alighting 
from  his  horse  he  sighted  the  guns  and  gave  a per- 
sonal superintendence  to  this  part  of  the  action.  An 
artillery  captain,  standing  by  his  battery  while  his 
horses  were  shot  down,  his  pieces  in  part  disabled, 
and  the  infantry  deserting  him,  shed  tears  in  conse- 
quence. 

“ You  need  not  feel  badly  over  this  affair,”  said 
the  General,  “ General  McDowell  is  responsible  for 
this  misfortune.  Stand  by  your  guns  as  long  as  you 
can.  If  the  General  is  blamed,  your  bravery  will  be 
praised.” 

Was  there  a touch  of  irony  in  this  remark  which 
met  in  advance  the  grumblings  and  questionings 
of  the  future  ? W as  it  the  sarcasm  of  a man  who, 
having  done  his  utmost,  could  not  yet  prevent  dis- 
aster and  who  knew  that  an  unthinking  public  some- 
times measured  loyalty  by  success  ? 

Later  in  the  day  our  regiment — the  “ Harris  Light 
Cavalry  ” — lost  a squadron.  Most  of  them  were 
killed. 

In  the  deepening  twilight  we  charged  the  enemy  just 
as  they  were  forming  for  a similar  attack  on  us.  They 
were  compelled  to  halt,  and  Pope  was  thus  enabled 
to  discover  their  position  and  arrange  for  the  next 
day’s  defense. 


192 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


On  the  night  of  the  thirtieth,  the  enemy  occupied 
the  battle -field,  and  buried  the  dead  of  both  armies. 
Thus  once  more,  Bull  Run  ran  red  with  patriot  blood 
and  witnessed  the  retreat  of  the  Union  battalions. 
By  what  strange  fatality  General  Pope  was  allowed 
to  struggle  on  alone  against  an  army  twice  the  size 
of  the  Federal  force,  cannot  be  satisfactorily  explain- 
ed. One  is  almost  tempted  to  believe,  with  astrolo- 
gists,  that  baleful  stars  sometimes  preside  with  malign 
influence  over  the  destinies  of  battles,  as  they  are 
said  to  do  over  individuals  and  nations. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

CHANTILLY. 

Union  Troops  on  the  Defensive. — Historic  Chantilly. — Pope  at  Fair, 
fax  Court-House. — Stonewall  Jackson’s  Attack. — The  Battle  of  the 
Sky. — Furious  Charges. — The  Enemy  Repulsed.— Death  of  Stevens 
and  Kearny. — The  March  to  Washington. — Pope  Resigns. — Porter 
Cashiered. — Tribute  to  Kearny. 

THE  Union  army  under  General  Pope  was  allowed 
little  respite  from  its  almost  continuous  fighting 
during  the  late  summer  and  early  autumn  days  of 
1862. 

After  the  tide  of  war  had  surged  back  from  the 
field  of  Bull  Run,  leaving  its  course  strewn  with 
fallen  heroes,  and  the  last  days  of  August  had  gone 
out  in  blood,  the  battle-line  was  again  formed  at 
Chantilly.  Chantilly  is  northwest  from  Fairfax  Court- 
House  and  Centre ville,  and  is  not  more  than  ten  miles 
south  of  the  station  of  Thornton  on  the  Loudon  and 
Hampshire  Railway.  On  the  thirty-first  of  August, 
1862,  the  brave  Army  of  Virginia  rested  behind  its 
intrenchments  at  Centreville,  while  a strong  force  was 
stationed  at  Chantilly  under  Hooker,  Reno,  and  Mc- 
Dowell. On  September  first  the  united  strength  of 
the  Armies  of  the  Potomac  and  Virginia,  was  reported 
by  the  commanding  officers  at  less  than  sixty  thousand. 


194 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


General  Pope,  believing  this  force  too  small  for  offen- 
sive operations,  determined  to  remain  on  the  defen- 
sive and  await  further  developments  from  the  enemy. 

As  the  Confederates  were  making  demonstrations 
for  the  purpose  of  turning  the  Union  right,  and  were 
also  advancing  northward,  General  Pope  fell  slowly 
back  to  Fairfax  Court-House,  ordering  the  force  at 
Chantilly  to  remain  on  the  defensive  at  that  point. 

Just  as  the  sun  was  setting  on  the  first  of  Septem- 
ber, and  while  a furious  thunder-storm  was  in  progress, 
Stonewall  Jackson,  the  great  flanker,  made  a sudden 
descent  on  the  Union  forces  at  Chantilly — the  corps 
of  A.  P.  Hill  and  Ewell  making  the  attack.  The 
battle  of  the  storm  and  the  battle  of  the  plain  raged 
in  concert,  and  the  thunder-crash  above  drowned  the 
roar  of  artillery  below. 

Gallantly  our  boys  under  Reno  advanced  to  the 
attack  and  impetuously  drove  back  the  foe.  At 
all  points  the  enemy  met  with  repulse.  Brigadier 
General  Isaac  J.  Stevens,  while  leading  a charge  with 
the  second  division  under  Reno,  was  shot  dead  at  the 
head  of  his  troops. 

His  command,  thrown  into  confusion,  uncovered 
the  first  division  of  Reno,  which  was  also  demoralized 
and  broken. 

At  this  crisis  of  affairs  General  Kearny,  leading 
one  of  Heintzelman’s  divisions,  advanced  to  the  res- 
cue and  with  a terrific  charge  drove  the  Confederates 
from  the  field.  The  defeated  ranks  of  the  enemy  re- 
coiled and  fled  before  this  onset  of  the  Union  troops  ; 
but  it  cost  the  country  the  life  of  one  of  its  bravest 
officers ; for  when  the  smoke  lifted  and  the  storm 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


195 


ceased  raging,  victory  unfurled  her  flag  over  the  life- 
less form  of  Philip  Kearny.  His  spirit  had  gone 
outward,  like  that  of  Napoleon  at  Helena,  amid  a war 
of  elements  ; — and  the  thunder  rolled  his  requiem. 

It  was  dark  when  the  battle  ended,  and  on  the 
next  morning  General  Pope’s  whole  command  was 
massed  behind  Difficult  Creek,  between  Flint  Hill  and 
Alexandria  turnpike.  At  noon  of  that  day,  in  ac- 
cordance with  orders  from  General  Halleck,  they 
marched  to  Washington,  at  which  place  they  arrived 
in  good  order  on  the  evening  of  the  third.  Here 
General  Pope,  at  his  own  request,  was  relieved  of  his 
command  and  at  the  same  time  preferred  charges  of 
insubordination  and  negligence  against  General  Por- 
ter, on  which  the  latter  officer  was  court-marshaled 
and  cashiered. 

No  more  intrepid  or  accomplished  officers,  no  hearts 
more  loyal  to  our  sacred  cause,  ever  died  on  glory’s 
field  than  Major-General  Philip  Kearny  and  Briga- 
dier-General Stevens. 

I cannot  forego  the  insertion  here  of  the  following 
beautiful  tribute  to  the  memory  of  our  Kearny.  It 
always  excites  in  me  the  noblest  emotions,  and  will,  I 
think,  afford  as  much  pleasure  to  my  readers  as  it 
has  to  myself : 

“ Our  country  bleeds 

With  blows  her  own  hands  strike.  He  starts,  he  heeds 

Her  cries  for  succor.  In  a foreign  land 

He  dwells ; his  bowers  with  luxury’s  pinions  fanned, 

His  cup  with  roses  crowned.  He  dashes  down 
The  cup,  he  leaves  the  bowers  ; he  flies  to  aid 
His  native  land.  Out  leaps  his  patriot  blade  l 
Quick  to  the  van  he  darts.  Again  the  frown 


196 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 


Of  strife  bends  blackening  ; once  again  his  ear 

War’s  furious  trump  with  stem  delight  drinks  in; 
Again  the  Battle-Bolt  in  red  career  ! 

Again  the  flood,  the  frenzy,  and  the  din  ! 

At  tottering  Williamsburg  his  granite  front 
Bears  without  shock  the  battle’s  fiercest  brunt. 

So  have  we  seen  the  crag  beat  back  the  blast, 

So  has  the  shore  the  surges  backward  cast. 

Behind  his  rock  the  shattered  ranks  reform ; 

Forward,  still  forward,  until  dark  defeat 
Burns  to  bright  victory  ! 

sf:  Sfc  sfs  sfc  % Sfc  ♦ 

Fame  commands 

The  song  ; we  yield  it  gladly ; but  the  glow 
Fades  as  we  sing.  The  dire,  the  fatal  blow 
Fell,  fell  at  last.  Full,  full  in  deadliest  front 
Leading  his  legions,  leading  as  his  wont, 

The  bullet  wafts  him  to  his  mortal  goal ! 

And  not  alone  War’s  thunders  saw  him  die 
Amid  the  glare,  the  rushing,  and  the  roll, 

Glared,  crashed,  the  grand  dread  battle  of  the  sky; 
There  on  two  pinions, — War’s  and  Storm’s, — he  soared, 
Flight  how  majestic ! up  ! His  dirge  was  roared, 

Not  warbled,  and  his  pall  was  smoke  and  cloud  ; 

Flowers  of  red  shot,  red  lightnings  strewed  his  bier, 
And  night,  black  night,  the  mourner. 

% % j}:  % ^ % 

Now  farewell, 

O hero ! In  our  Glory’s  Pantheon 
Thy  name  will  shine,  a name  immortal  won 
By  deeds  immortal ! In  our  heart’s  deep  heart 
Thy  statued  fame,  that  never  shall  depart, 

Shall  tower,  the  loftier  as  Time  fleets,  and  show 

How  Heaven  can  sometimes  plant  its  Titans  here  below.” 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


ANTIBTA  UVE. 

The  Enemy  Concentrating  on  Antietam  Creek. — Stonewall  Jackson 
Has  the  Left. — Battle  at  Daybreak. — The  Contested  Cornfield. — 
Hooker  Wounded. — Furious  Struggle. — Fate  of  the  Thirty-Fourth 
New  York. — War’s  Fierce  Tug. — Franklin  and  Fresh  Troops. — 
Four  Times  Lost  and  Won. — Burnside  Takes  the  Bridge. — Union 
Troops  Carry  the  Hill  and  are  Driven  Back. — McClellan  Sends 
Aid. — A Moment  when  Events  Hang  in  the  Balance. — “ The 
Bridge  ! — Always  the  Bridge !” — McClellan’s  Star  in  the  Ascendant. 

THE  dawn,  of  September  seventeenth,  1862,  witnessed 
the  opening  scene  of  one  of  the  bloodiest  battles 
of  our  civil  war.  For  two  days  previous  to  that  time 
the  Confederate  army,  under  Lee,  had  been  concen- 
trating on  the  low  range  of  hills  near  Antietam  Creek 
and  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  little  town  of 
Sharpsburg. 

General  Burnside  on  the  fourteenth  had  carried 
Turner’s  Gap  and  General  Franklin  had  occupied 
Crampton’s  Gap  on  the  same  day,  thus  obtaining  pos- 
session of  the  mountain  range  and  its  gates  into  the 
valley  ; the  corps  of  Sumner,  Hooker,  and  Mansfield 
had  been  ordered  to  follow  the  Confederate  army,  re- 
tiring in  the  direction  of  Sharpsburg.  The  forces  of 
the  enemy,  under  cover  of  a mass  of  woods,  were  dis- 
posed in  two  lines  six  miles  long,  having  Antietam 
creek  in  their  front.  Three  bridges  at  short  intervals 


198 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


crossed  the  creek  in  front  of  the  battle  line,  leading 
respectively  to  Hagerstown,  Sliepardstown,  and  Wil- 
liamsport. 

Stonewall  Jackson  having  arrived  from  Harper’s 
Ferry  on  the  sixteenth,  held  the  left  of  the  Confeder- 
ate line,  D.  H.  Hill’s  division  had  the  center  and 
Longstreet’s  Corps  occupied  the  right. 

About  sixty  guns  had  been  placed  in  position  to 
command  the  Antietam  bridge  by  which  the  Union 
troops  advanced. 

Hooker  was  ordered  to  cross  on  the  right  and  if 
possible  flank  the  enemy’s  left,  while  Sumner,  Frank- 
lin, and  Mansfield  were  to  sustain  the  attack  of 
Hooker.  Burnside,  on  the  left,  was  to  carry  by  storm 
the  lower  bridge  of  Antietam  Creek,  turn  the  Rebel 
flank,  and  cut  off  his  retreat,  while  the  principal  work 
in  the  center  was  left  to  the  batteries. 

At  daybreak  on  the  seventeenth  the  bloody  battle 
commenced.  Rickett’s  batteries  under  Hooker  opened 
fire  on  the  enemy  and  Meade’s  infantry  made  the  at- 
tack. The  action  very  soon  became  severe  and  raged 
furiously,  with  destructive  results.  The  battle-ground 
was  a field  of  ploughed  land  with  a cornfield  at  the 
rear  bordered  by  a mass  of  woods. 

At  the  end  of  half  an  hour  the  fire  of  the  enemy 
decreased  and  Meade  perceiving  that  the  Confederate 
line  wavered,  rushed  forward  with  his  Pennsylvanians, 
the  boys  cheering  as  they  ran.  The  enemy  was 
pushed  to  the  shelter  of  the  woods  before  the  over- 
whelming onslaught  of  the  Pennsylvania  troops,  leav- 
ing the  field  strewn  with  large  numbers  of  the  dead 
and  wounded. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


199 


As  the  conquering  Union  line  swept  up  to  the  wood, 
a tempest  of  fire  was  poured  upon  their  advancing 
ranks  from  fresh  Confederate  troops  concealed  in  the 
forest.  The  line  wavered  a moment  and  closing  up 
its  broken  ranks  retired.  The  Rebels  now  rushed 
wildly  out  from  their  concealed  position  and  with 
yells  like  demons  re-gained  the  ground  just  lost  by 
their  comrades.  Hooker  sent  a brigade  to  stem  this 
adverse  wave  of  war,  but  it  was  not  enough.  The 
brigade  of  Hartstuff  then  advanced  at  the  double- 
quick  and  rapidly  formed  in  battle  line  on  a ridge  in 
the  cornfield — a position  which  they  held  until  their 
General  was  wounded. 

Rickett’s  division  and  part  of  Mansfield’s  corps 
had  fallen  back,  the  General  commanding  Mans- 
field’s corps  having  been  carried  from  the  field  mor- 
tally wounded.  But  Doubleday’s  guns  enabled  the 
left  to  stand  firm  and  hold  its  ground.  Crawford  and 
Gordon,  commanding  Mansfield’s  remaining  brigades, 
were  now  ordered  to  advance,  and  the  entire  line  was 
concentrated  upon  a point  of  woods  to  the  right  of 
the  cornfield,  which,  if  taken,  would  give  to  the 
Union  forces  the  key  to  the  position. 

Hooker,  leading  the  advance,  received  at  this  crisis, 
a rifle-shot  in  his  foot. 

For  four  hours  the  battle  had  raged  with  bloody 
fury,  and  now,  at  nine  o’clock,  General  Sumner  ar- 
rived and  took  command.  Hooker’s  right  and  the 
two  brigades  of  Mansfield  were  still  fresh,  and  Sedg- 
wick’s division  moved  forward  in  advance  to  support 
Crawford  and  Gordon.  The  enemy  was  also  re-in- 
forced  and  preparations  to  renew  the  struggle  with 


200 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION.. 


greater  intensity,  were  made.  Richardson  and  French 
had  the  left  while  Sedgwick,  moving  in  columns  of  di- 
vision in  the  rear,  deployed  and  advanced  in  line  over 
the  cornfield.  Between  his  force  and  the  nearest  di- 
vision the  space  was  so  broad  and  the  danger  of  be- 
ing flanked  so  imminent  that  he  executed  a manoeuvre 
to  prevent  it  by  ordering  the  Thirty-fourth  New  York 
to  move  by  the  left  flank — thus  extending  his  front 
to  its  utmost  limits.  The  movement  was  performed 
under  a fire  so  scathing  that  the  regiment  gave  way, 
half  their  officers  were  killed  or  wounded,  their  colors 
were  shot  to  pieces,  the  color-sergeant  killed  and 
every  one  of  their  color-guard  wounded.  Only  thirty- 
two  out  of  all  the  brave  men  of  the  regiment  who  en- 
tered that  baptism  of  fire  for  the  sake  of  country, 
could  ever  afterwards  be  got  together.  Into  the 
fierce  flame  of  this  conflict  went  the  Fifteenth  Massa- 
chusetts with  seventeen  officers  and  six  hundred  men. 
It  came  out  with  six  officers  and  one  hundred  and 
thirty-four  men.  Sedgwick  being  wounded,  General 
Howard  assumed  command  and  endeavored  to  restore 
order,  but  in  vain.  “ General  Sumner  ordered  the 
line  to  be  re-formed  under  fire  ; but  the  test  was  too 
severe  for  volunteer  troops.  Sumner  himself  at- 
tempted to  arrest  the  disorder  but  to  little  purpose. 
As  it  seemed  impossible  to  hold  the  position,  Sumner 
withdrew  the  division  to  the  rear  and  once  more  the 
cornfield  was  abandoned  to  the  enemy.  At  the  same 
moment  the  enemy  perceiving  his  advantage,  came  for- 
ward with  fresh  troops.”  One  o’clock  had  arrived 
and  the  outlook  was  discouraging.  The  list  of  officers 
killed  and  wounded  was  positively  alarming.  Hook- 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


201 


er’s  and  Mansfield’s  troops  were  exhausted  with  the 
trying  contest  and  Richardson  was  severely  wounded 
while  leading  his  men  in  the  fray. 

General  Meagher  was  in  the  same  plight,  the  am- 
munition for  some  of  the  guns  had  entirely  given  out, 
though  the  artillery  in  our  front  was  yet  keeping  up 
its  fire  with  vigor.  Doubleday  with  his  guns  still 
held  the  right  firmly.  The  officers  of  the  various 
commands  were  confident  of  being  able  to  hold  their 
ground,  but  considered  an  advance  impossible. 

Fortunately  the  enemy’s  batteries  seemed  too  much 
disabled  to  take  the  offensive  and  their  troops  too 
much  exhausted  for  an  attack. 

The  timely  arrival  of  Franklin  with  fresh  troops 
changed  the  complexion  of  affairs.  Slocum  advanced 
along  the  hill  slopes,  on  the  heights  of  which  the 
enemy  was  posted,  and  Smith  with  his  Maine  and  Ver- 
mont regiments  went  forward  on  the  run,  re-took  the 
hotly-contested  corn-field  and  charged  the  woods  in 
gallant  style,  routing  the  foe  in  the  space  of  ten 
minutes. 

Four  times  had  this  ground  been  lost  and  won,  but 
at  last  it  remained  in  possession  of  the  Union  forces. 

On  the  left,  Burnside,  after  a sharp  engagement 
took  the  stone  bridge,  and  the  enemy  retiring  to  some 
hill-tops  beyond,  placed  their  batteries  in  position  to 
command  the  Union  troops. 

At  four  o’clock  Burnside  received  orders  from  Mc- 
Clellan to  carry  the  batteries  in  his  front  at  all  haz- 
ards, while  Franklin  sent  forward  his  artillery  to  aid 
Burnside  in  obtaining  a position  on  the  Sharpsburg 
road,  in  the  rear  of  the  enemy.  General  Burnside 


202 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


had  sixteen  thousand  men  to  handle,  in  this  move' 
ment.  Rapidly  and  with  determined  front  they 
pressed  forward  directly  up  the  hill  in  range  of  the 
most  dangerous  batteries  of  the  enemy.  The  guns 
of  Franklin  were  placed  in  the  field  on  the  other  side, 
at  about  the  same  time,  and  the  battle  opened  from 
all  sides  with  increased  activity.  The  guns  of  Burn- 
side held  the  enemy’s  batteries  in  check,  and  the  in- 
fantry columns  swept  up  the  hill  to  meet  the  enemy 
on  its  crest.  A thick  cloud  of  dust  enveloped  the 
spot  where  the  Rebel  guns  were  planted  and  a furious 
struggle  now  ensued. 

With  a shout  the  Union  troops  rush  forward  and 
carry  the  hill.  But  on  the  ridge  above  them  an- 
other Confederate  battle-line  comes  in  view.  They 
move  rapidly  down  upon  our  troops  but  are  met  firmly 
by  the  brigades  of  Burnside  in  heavy  column.  The 
enemy  halts,  intimidated  ; but  at  this  critical  moment 
A.  P.  Hill  arrives  on  the  ground  from  Harper’s  Ferry 
and  with  his  fresh  troops  reenforces  the  Confederates. 
A newspaper  correspondent  describes  this  part  ol 
the  scene  with  dramatic  power. 

“ The  enemy’s  left  gives  way  and  scatters  over  the 
field,  the  rest  stand  fast  and  fire.  More  infantry 
comes  up.  Burnside  is  outnumbered,  flanked,  com- 
pelled to  yield  the  hill  he  took  so  bravely.  His  po- 
sition is  no  longer  one  of  attack ; he  defends  himself 
with  unfaltering  firmness,  but  he  sends  to  McClellan 
for  help.  McClellan’s  field-glass  for  the  last  half  hour 
has  seldom  been  turned  away  from  the  left.  He  sees 
clearly  enough  that  Burnside  is  pressed — needs  no 
messenger  to  tell  him  that.  His  face  grows  darker 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


203 


with  anxious  thought.  Looking  down  into  the  valley 
where  fifteen  thousand  troops  are  lying  he  turns  a 
half-questioning  look  on  Fitz-John  Porter  who  stands 
by  his  side,  gravely  scanning  the  field.  They  are 
Porter’s  troops  below,  are  fresh,  and  only  impatient 
to  share  in  this  fight.  But  Porter  slowly  shakes  his 
head,  and  one  may  believe  that  the  same  thought  is 
passing  through  the  minds  of  both  Generals.  ‘ They 
are  the  only  reserves  of  the  army ; they  cannot  be 
spared.’  McClellan  re-mounts  his  horse,  and  with 
Porter  and  a dozen  officers  of  his  staff,  rides  away  to 
the  left  in  Burnside’s  direction. 

“ Sykes  meets  them  on  the  road — a good  soldier 
whose  opinion  is  worth  taking.  The  three  Generals 
talk  briefly  together.  It  is  easy  to  see  that  the  mo- 
ment has  come  when  everything  may  turn  on  one 
order  given  or  withheld,  when  the  history  of  the  bat- 
tle is  only  to  be  written  in  the  thoughts  and  purposes 
and  words  of  the  General.  Burnside’s  messenger  rides 
up.  His  message  is  : 4 I want  troops  and  guns  ; if  you 
do  not  send  them,  I cannot  hold  my  position  half  an 
hour.’  McClellan’s  only  answer  for  the  moment  is 
a glance  at  the  western  sky.  Then  he  turns  and 
speaks  very  slowly  ; 4 Tell  General  Burnside  this  is 
the  battle  of  the  war.  He  must  hold  his  ground  till 
dark  at  any  cost.  I will  send  him  Miller’s  battery. 
I can  do  nothing  more.  I have  no  infantry.’  Then 
as  the  messenger  was  riding  away  he  called  him  back. 
‘ Tell  him  if  he  cannot  hold  his  ground,  then  the 
bridge  to  the  last  man  ! — always  the  bridge  ! If  the 
bridge  is  lost,  all  is  lost.’  ” 

General  Morrell,  however,  was  sent  to  the  aid  of 
9 


204 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


Burnside  with  five  thousand  men.  But,  at  this  crisis 
of  affairs  the  fire  of  the  Confederates  died  away,  the 
sun  went  down  and  darkness  brought  to  a close  the 
tumultous  conflict  of  the  day.  Burnside  held  the 
bridge  and  Hooker,  Sumner,  and  Franklin  occupied 
all  the  vantage  ground  gained  during  the  day.  A 
renewal  of  the  fight  was  anticipated  for  the  morrow, 
but  McClellan  failed  to  give  the  expected  order.  On 
the  eighteenth,  the  Union  army  rested. 

On  the  morning  of  the  nineteenth,  when  McClellan 
had  determined  to  renew  the  attack  he  discovered  that 
Lee  had  withdrawn  across  the  Potomac  and  with  his 
army  once  more  occupied  Virginia  soil. 

The  battle  of  Antietam  freed  Maryland  from  Con- 
federate troops  and  was  considered  a Union  victory. 
It  was,  perhaps,  a questionable  victory  but  in  contrast 
with  the  almost  continuous  reverses  previous  to  that 
time,  it  looked  positively  bright.  The  colors  of  Mc- 
Clellan which  had  trailed  in  the  dust  at  the  disastrous 
ending  of  the  Peninsular  Campaign,  were  once  more 
flying  high  in  the  popular  view,  and  had  he  pressed 
home  this  reaction  in  his  favor  by  straightforward 
action  instead  of  wasting  the  opportunity  in  tempo- 
rizing delays,  he  might  have  been  re-instated  as  the 
army’s  beloved  commander  and  again  surrounded 
by  his  old  atmosphere  of  enthusiastic  admiration. 

But  ihe  golden  opportunity  was  allowed  to  slip  by, 
unimproved.  To  many  a Northern  hearth-stone  the 
battle  of  Antietam  brought  desolation  and  death,  but 
on  the  book  of  National  remembrance  are  inscribed 
the  names  of  those  who  here  fought  and  fell  in 
liberty’s  cause,  by  whose  death  the  Nation  garnered 
a glorious  harvest. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

CORINTH. 

Topography  of  the  Battle-ground. — The  Enemy  Marching  upon 
Corinth. — Price  and  Van  Dorn  Unite  their  Forces. — Three  Tiers  of 
Earthworks. — Preliminary  Battle  of  the  Third. — Generalship  of 
Rosecrans. — Battle  of  the  Fourth. — Two  Hours  of  Hot  Work. — 
Forts  Richardson  and  Robinett. — Price  Driven  Back. — Desperate 
Charge  of  Van  Dorn. — A Forlorn  Hope. — Colonel  Rogers. — The 
Enemy  Driven  — Confusion  and  Flight. — Heaps  of  Slain. — The 
Handkerchief  Flags. — “ For  God’s  Sake  Spare  us  !” — Pursuit  of  the 
Foe. — Captured  Spoils. — West  Tennessee  Safe. 

ABOUT  seventy  miles  south-east  of  Memphis  on  the 
Mississippi  river,  near  the  Tennessee  state  line,  lies 
the  village  of  Corinth,  renowned  as  the  field  where 
the  Confederate  Generals  Price  and  Yan  Dorn  at  the 
head  of  forty  thousand  troops,  met  half  that  number 
in  battle  array  and  were  hurled  back  in  defeat  and 
rout,  their  colors  trailing  in  the  dust. 

Corinth  is  a strong  strategic  point,  located  in  a 
branch  of  the  Appalachian  range  of  mountains,  at 
the  Junction  of  the  “ Memphis  and  Charleston,”  and 
“ Mobile  and  Ohio  ” railroads,  which  communicate 
with  the  Atlantic  seaboard  on  one  side  and  the  Gulf 
shore  on  the  other. 

General  Rosecrans,  in  command  of  our  forces  at 
Corinth,  had  been  advised  of  the  contemplated  attack 
of  the  Confederates  and  in  anticipation  of  it  began 
erecting  a new  line  of  earthworks.  The  combined 


206 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 


Rebel  forces  marching  upon  Corinth,  September 
thirtieth,  1862,  encountered  the  advance  of  Ogleby 
thrown  forward  by  Rosecrans  on  the  Chewalla  road 
with  the  design  of  falling  back  and  thus  leading  the 
enemy  under  the  heavy  guns  of  Corinth.  Ogleby 
resisted  the  attack  of  the  enemy’s  advance  very 
firmly  and  McArthur  and  Davies  were  ordered  for- 
ward to  his  support.  On  the  third  of  October  these 
brigades  were  pushed  back  by  the  increased  force  of 
the  enemy  with  the  loss  of  General  Hackelman  killed 
and  Ogleby  wounded. 

General  Rosecrans  discovered  that  Price,  Lovell, 
and  Van  Dorn  had  united  their  armies  for  an  attack, 
with  the  design  of  cutting  off  his  communications 
and  crushing  his  small  force  before  reenforcements 
could  arrive. 

Beauregard,  during  his  occupancy  of  the  place 
earlier  in  the  war,  had  built  extensive  fortifications 
to  resist  the  Union  advance  under  Halleck,  and  when 
Halleck  occupied  Corinth  he  also  had  erected  works, 
not  so  extensive  as  the  original  fortifications.  Gene- 
ral Rosecrans  now  constructed  a third  line,  the  others 
being  too  large  for  his  small  force.  Four  redoubts 
covered  the  approaches  to  Corinth,  while  batteries 
were  placed  in  position,  to  sweep  with  their  fire  the 
entire  space  in  front  of  our  lines.  General  Hamilton 
held  the  extreme  right  of  the  Union  army,  and  during 
the  night  of  October  third,  a new  five-gun  battery  had 
been  placed  on  his  left  which  commanded  the  Bolivar 
road.  Davies  occupied  the  center  and  McKean  held 
the  left,  while  three  regiments  under  Colonel  Oliver 
were  sent  forward  on  the  Chewalla  road  from  whence 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


207 


the  Confederates  were  advancing.  The  preliminary 
battle  took  place  on  October  third,  beginning  about 
seven  and  a half  o’clock  in  the  morning. 

General  Rosecrans,  in  order  to  develop  the  strength 
of  the  enemy,  advanced  his  troops  down  the  road  as 
the  Confederates  came  up  and  then  retired  behind  his 
works,  his  batteries  commanding  their  approach. 

The  Union  troops  were  hotly  assailed,  and  by  one 
o’clock  in  the  afternoon  it  became  evident  that  the  at- 
tack was  no  feint,  as  General  Rosecrans  had  at  first 
supposed,  but  that  no  less  a prize  than  Corinth  with  all 
its  stores,  was  the  object  in  view.  The  Union  troops 
were  accordingly  disposed  so  as  to  make  the  best  re- 
sistance, the  afternoon  being  consumed  by  these  ar- 
rangements, varied  witli  more  or  less  fighting.  Night 
compelled  a cessation  of  hostilities,  and  under  cover 
of  the  darkness  a Rebel  battery  was  placed  in  front  of 
their  line,  only  two  hundred  yards  distant  from  Fort 
Robinett  in  our  center. 

The  battle  was  re-opened  at  three  o’clock  on  the 
morning  of  October  fourth,  by  this  battery.  But  our 
guns  did  not  reply  until  day-break. 

The  village  of  Corinth  was  startled  from  sleep  by 
exploding  shells  in  streets  and  dwellings  and  a sud- 
den stampede  of  teamsters,  sutlers,  and  non-combat- 
ants ensued.  Fort  Williams  on  a commanding  height 
with  its  twenty  pound  Parrot  guns  soon  silenced  the 
Rebel  battery,  whose  guns  were  dragged  away  and 
captured.  Very  soon  the  action  of  the  batteries  be- 
came general,  and  the  air  was  full  of  bursting  shells. 
At  about  half  past  nine  in  the  morning  heavy  masses 
of  the  enemy  under  Price,  with  gleaming  bayonets, 


208 


BATTLES  FOR  TUB  UNION. 


emerged  from  the  woods  east  of  the  railroad  and 
moved  up  the  Bolivar  road,  towards  the  Union  batte- 
ries. Steadily  and  with  brave  front  the  host  advanced 
in  column  of  divisions,  Price  holding  the  left  and  Van 
Dorn  the  right.  As  they  swept  onward  in  the  face  of 
the  certain  destruction  awaiting  them,  the  huge  living 
mass  expanded  into  long  lines  like  two  great  arms  ex- 
tending to  crush  the  bristling  batteries  in  front.  But 
now  they  are  within  range  of  the  Federal  guns  and  a 
great  blaze  of  shot  cuts  and  tears  their  ranks.  But 
the  gaps  instantly  close  up  and  with  desperate  deter- 
mination they  sweep  up  the  crest,  returning  the  Union 
fire  so  vigorously  that  the  division  of  Davies  breaks  in 
disorder.  Pushing  this  momentary  advantage,  the 
Confederates  rush  through  the  opening  thus  made  and 
capture  the  house  which  Rosecrans  occupied  as  head- 
quarters. Rosecrans,  whose  eye  has  never  for  a mo- 
ment left  the  struggling  mass  below,  sees  with  a start 
of  dismay,  the  division  of  Davies  break,  and  galloping 
headlong  to  the  broken  line,  he  rallies  the  troops  in 
person.  The  dead  and  the  dying  in  the  enemy’s  ranks 
fall  like  leaves  in  autumn,  thickly  strewing  the  ground, 
but  the  living  never  falter.  “ Seemingly  insensible  to 
fear  or  infuriated  by  passion,  they  marched  steadily 
to  death  with  necks  bent  downward,  and  faces  averted 
like  men  striving  to  protect  themselves  against  a driv- 
ing storm  of  hail.” 

In  a moment  after  Davies’  division  gave  way,  the  fire 
of  the  enemy  was  pouring  into  the  public  square  of 
Corinth,  and  Hamilton’s  veterans  fell  back  before  their 
impetuous  advance.  With  a wild  yell  they  rushed  on 
Fort  Richardson  only  to  be  enveloped  in  a sheet  of 


BATTLES  FUR  THE  UNION. 


209 


flame  from  the  guns  of  the  battery,  and  when  the  cloud 
of  smoke  lifted  none  save  the  dead  and  the  dying  were 
seen.  But  with  the  fury  of  demons  and  the  madness 
of  men  in  despair  they  re-form  and  charge  the  fort. 
Richardson  falls  at  his  battery  and  the  Rebels  are  leap- 
ing over  its  ramparts,  when  suddenly  the  Fifty-sixth 
Illinois  spring  from  a ravine  near  by  and  delivering  a 
close  volley  of  fire,  charge  the  enemy  impetuously  and 
recover  the  lost  ground.  Hamilton  also  gives  the 
order  to  charge,  and  his  line  sweeps  forward,  complet- 
ing the  Rebel  repulse,  and  sending  them  in  utter  dis- 
order to  the  woods.  It  is  said  that  such  a shout  of 
victory  went  up  then  from  the  throats  of  the  Union 
boys,  as  was  never  heard  in  Corinth  before.  Y an  Dorn 
on  the  Confederate  left  heard  the  shout  and  to  him  it 
sounded  like  the  knell  of  doom.  Van  Dorn’s  advance 
had  been  much  slower  than  that  of  Price  owing  to  the 
difficulties  encountered  on  the  way — being  obliged 
to  march  through  ravines,  thickets,  and  abattis. 
Their  attack  was  designed  to  be  simultaneous,  but  ow- 
ing to  these  obstructions,  Price  breasted  the  full  fury 
of  the  storm  from  our  batteries,  alone,  and  his  defeat 
was  accomplished  before  Van  Dorn  was  in  line. 

Van  Dorn  having  advanced  in  front  of  Fort  Robi- 
nett,  realized  his  difficult  situation.  A deadly  enfilad- 
ing fire  had  swept  his  ranks  from  Forts  Robinett  and 
"Williams,  but  unmindful  of  the  slaughter,  he  had 
pressed  on  until  directly  in  his  path  stood  Fort  Robi- 
nett. Everything  depended  on  his  carrying  the  works. 
Van  Dorn  determined  at  once  to  make  the  attempt 
though  unaided  and  alone.  It  was  a desperate  resolve 
and  was  executed  with  sublime  bravery.  Colonel  Rog- 


210 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


ers  at  the  head  of  his  Texan  and  Mississippi  troops 
moved  forward  on  Fort  Robinett.  Immediately  its 
Parrot  guns  flashed  their  iron  anger  in  destructive 
discharges  of  shot  which  raked  the  ranks  of  the  en- 
emy. The  guns  of  Fort  Williams  also  opened  fire 
upon  them,  and  as  they  advanced  to  close  range  the 
carnage  was  awful.  Their  ranks  were  rent  and  torn, 
but  instantly  closing  up  they  pressed  on,  urged  by  the 
clarion  voice  of  Rogers,  at  their  head,  shouting,  “ for- 
ward.” At  last  the  ditch  in  front  of  the  position 
was  reached,  and  pausing  for  one  moment  on  its  brink, 
Rogers  waved  the  Rebel  flag  in  his  left  hand  and 
holding  a revolver  in  his  right  while  he  still  shouted 
‘ forward  ! ’ sprang  over  the  ditch  and  rushing  up  the 
slope  planted  his  banner  on  the  ramparts  of  the  Fort. 
The  next  moment  he  fell  headlong  into  the  ditch  shot 
dead,  followed  by  five  brave  Texans  who  never  left  his 
side  and  who  shared  his  fate.  Just  behind  the  ridge 
the  Ohio  troops  were  lying  flat  on  their  faces,  reserv- 
ing their  fire  until  the  enemy  came  within  short  range, 
when  they  sprang  up  and  delivered  six  sharp  volleys 
with  destructive  effect.  The  front  line  of  the  enemy 
now  fell  back  upon  their  supports  who  rushed  forward 
with  desperate  determination  into  the  hottest  of  the 
fight.  The  Sixty-tliird  Ohio  encountered  them  at  this 
point  and  a hand  to  hand  struggle  ensued.  Bayonets 
and  clubbed  muskets  were  used  in  the  fearful  contest, 
and  the  yells  and  curses  and  demoniac  uproar  were  hid- 
eous. At  length  the  enemy’s  line  gave  way,  and  they 
fled  in  terror  and  dismay  before  our  troops,  flinging 
aside  their  arms  as  they  ran.  Many  of  them  tied  their 
handkerchiefs  upon  sticks,  shouting  to  “ spare  them 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 


211 


for  God’s  sake  ! ” The  abattis  of  Fort  Robinett  was 
full  of  them  and  over  two  hundred  of  them  were  taken 
within  an  area  of  a hundred  yards.  More  than  twice 
that  number  fell  in  the  frightful  assault  upon  Fort  Rob- 
inett. Fifty-six  of  their  dead  were  heaped  together  in 
front  of  that  redoubt,  belonging  principally  to  the  Sec- 
ond Texas  and  Fourth  Mississippi.  “ They  were  bur- 
ied in  one  pit : but  their  brave  general  sleeps  alone  : 
our  own  noble  fellows  testifying  their  respect  by  round- 
ing his  grave  smoothly,  and  marking  his  resting  place.” 

The  Twenty-seventh  Ohio  and  Eleventh  Missouri 
went  in  pursuit  of  the  flying  foe,  chasing  them  back 
to  their  cover  of  woods. 

The  battle  had  lasted  two  hours — beginning  at  nine 
in  the  morning  and  the  pursuit  commencing  at  eleven 
o’clock. 

“ A great  shout  went  up  all  over  Corinth.  The 
battle  was  a shock.  * * * The  pursuit 
of  the  beaten  foe  was  terrible.  Sheets  of  flame 
blazed  through  the  forest.  Huge  trunks  were  shat- 
tered by  crashing  shells.  You  may  track  the  flying 
conflict  for  miles  by  scarified  trees,  broken  branches, 
twisted  gun-barrels  and  shattered  stocks,  blood- 
stained garments  and  mats  of  human  hair,  which  lie 
on  the  ground  where  men  died  ; hillocks  which  mark 
ditches  where  dead  Rebels  were  covered,  and  smoothly 
rounded  graves  where  slaughtered  patriots  were  ten- 
derly buried.” 

Over  two  thousand  of  our  own  soldiers  had  fallen, 
while  six  thousand  of  the  enemy  went  to  their  death 
on  that  red  field. 

Two  thousand  two  hundred  and  forty-eight  priso- 
9* 


212 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


ners  were  captured,  also  two  pieces  of  artillery,  four- 
teen stand  of  colors  and  over  three  thousand  small 
arms.  As  Rosecrans,  after  the  battle,  rode  along  the 
line,  he  was  greeted  with  thundering  cheers.  He  be- 
gan to  be  looked  upon  as  invincible.  Yictory  hovered 
over  his  banners  wherever  he  went,  and  he  was  affec- 
tionately nick-named  “ Old  Rosy.” 

The  fields  around  Corinth  were  frightful  with  the 
debris  of  battle,  and  for  weeks  the  place  could  be 
scented  miles  away. 

On  the  morning  after  the  battle,  McPherson,  hav- 
ing arrived  at  Corinth  with  a fresh  brigade,  went  in 
pursuit  of  the  retreating  foe  ; but  though  narrowly 
escaping  destruction  in  the  forks  of  the  Hatchie,  they 
succeeded  at  last  in  eluding  the  vigilance  of  our 
troops  and  getting  away.  The  battle  of  Corinth 
placed  West  Tennessee  securely  in  the  hands  of  the 
Federal  Government,  and  won  for  General  Rosecrans 
fresh  and  undying  laurels. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 


PREDER  ICKSBURG. 


Burnside  in  Command  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. —The  Advance 
to  Fredericksburg. — Surrender  of  the  City  Refused. — Confederate 
and  Union  Cavalry  Raids. — Capture  of  Rebel  Picket-Posts. — Ex. 
odus  of  Citizens  from  Fredericksburg. — Delay  In  Laying  Pontoons. 
— The  Seventh  Michigan  Crossing  the  River  under  a Murderous 
Fire. — Death  of  a Massachusetts  Chaplain. — General  Gibbon  Opens 
the  Battle. — Desperate  Fighting. — Terrific  Charge  of  Meade’s  Di- 
vision.— The  Hillside  Strewn  with  the  Dead. — Death  of  Bayard. — 
Night  after  the  Battle. — Heart-rending  Scenes. — Termination  of  the 
Campaign  of  1862. 


ENERAL  McCLELLAN’S  failure  to  grasp  tlie 


VT  fruits  of  victory  after  the  battle  of  Antietam,  led 
to  his  removal  and  the  appointment  of  General  Am 
brose  E.  Burnside  to  the  command  of  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac. 

General  Burnside  accepted  his  new  position  with 
great  reluctance  and  unfeigned  self-distrust,  and  only 
as  a matter  of  obedience  to  orders.  This  change  of 
the  commanding  officer,  deleterious  and  dangerous  as 
it  might  be  upon  the  morale  of  the  army,  was  never- 
theless considered  necessary  and  expedient. 

Having  secured  by  strategy  the  principal  gaps  of 
Blue  Ridge,  which  had  been  occupied  by  the  enemy 
since  their  advance  into  the  Valley,  General  Burnside 
began  to  make  preparations  to  move  his  army  to 
Fredericksburg,  that  point  being  in  the  direct  line 


214 


BA  TTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


from  Washington  to  Richmond.  To  mask,  as  long 
as  possible,  his  real  design,  he  threatened  an  attack 
upon  Gordonsville,  but  General  Lee,  by  the  aid  of  his 
emissaries  and  raiders,  soon  ascertained  his  plans, 
and  moving  his  army  across  the  Blue  Ridge,  through 
the  western  passes,  he  took  his  position  on  the  south 
bank  of  the  Rappahannock,  to  prevent  our  crossing. 

General  Burnside  halted  at  Warrenton,  a beautiful 
village  of  Fauquier  county,  and  here  a few  days  were 
consumed  in  effecting  the  changes  incident  upon  the 
advent  of  a new  commander,  and  on  the  fourteenth, 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  constituted  into  three 
grand  divisions,  to  be  commanded  respectively  by 
Generals  Sumner,  Franklin,  and  Hooker.  The  follow- 
ing day  Warrenton  was  abandoned  and  the  army 
swept  on  towards  the  Rappahannock. 

Two  days’  march  brought  our  advance  to  Falmouth, 
and  on  the  twenty-first,  General  Patrick,  our  Provost- 
Marshal-General,  was  directed  to  repair  to  Freder- 
icksburg under  a flag  of  truce,  and  request  the  sur- 
render of  the  city.  The  authorities  replied  that  while 
its  buildings  and  streets  would  no  longer  be  used  by 
Rebel  sharp-shooters  to  annoy  our  forces  across  the 
river,  its  occupation  by  Yankee  troops  would  be  re- 
sisted to  the  last.  Had  the  means  of  crossing  the 
river  been  at  hand,  General  Burnside  would  have 
made  hostile  demonstrations  at  once ; but  through 
some  misunderstanding  between  himself  and  General 
Halleck,  at  Washington,  the  pontoons  were  not  in 
readiness. 

On  the  twenty-eighth  of  November  a strong  force 
of  Rebel  cavalry  under  General  Wade  Hampton, 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNI  OH. 


215 


dashed  across  the  river  at  some  of  the  upper  fords, 
raided  up  around  Dumfries  and  the  Occoquan,  cap- 
tured several  prisoners  and  wagons  and  returned  to 
their  side  of  the  river  without  loss.  As  a sort  of  off- 
set to  this,  on  the  twenty-ninth  General  Julius  Stahl, 
who  commanded  a brigade  of  cavalry  at  Fairfax 
Court  House,  commenced  an  expedition  of  great  dar- 
ing and  success,  to  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  Having 
advanced  to  Snicker’s  Gap,  in  the  Blue  Ridge,  a 
strong  Rebel  picket-post  was  captured  by  our  van- 
guard. Pressing  forward  on  the  main  thoroughfare, 
they  soon  reached  the  Shenandoah  River,  and  were 
not  a little  annoyed  by  Rebel  carbineers,  hidden  be- 
hind old  buildings  across  the  stream.  Captain  Abram 
H.  Krom,  commanding  a detachment  of  the  Fifth 
New  York  Cavalry,  and  leading  the  advance,  dashed 
across  the  river,  though  deep  and  the  current  swift, 
closely  followed  by  his  men.  On  reaching  the  oppo- 
site bank  a charge  was  ordered,  and  executed  in  so 
gallant  a manner  that  several  Rebels  were  made 
prisoners,  and  the  remainder  of  the  squad  was  driven 
away  at  a break-neck  speed.  Our  men  pursued  them 
in  a scrambling  race  for  nearly  three  miles,  when  they 
came  upon  a Rebel  camp,  which  was  attacked  in  a 
furious  manner.  Our  boys  made  music  enough  for  a 
brigade,  though  only  a squadron  was  at  hand. 

The  enemy  attempted  a defence  but  utterly  failed. 
Re-inforcements  coming  to  our  aid,  the  Rebels  were 
thoroughly  beaten  and  driven  away,  leaving  in  our 
hands  one  captain,  two  lieutenants,  thirty-two  privates, 
one  stand  of  colors,  and  several  wagons  and  ambu- 
lances. Most  of  these  were  laden  with  booty  taken 


216 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


by  White’s  guerrillas,  in  a recent  raid  into  Poolesville, 
Maryland.  Sixty  horses  and  fifty  heads  of  cattle  were 
also  captured  in  this  gallant  charge. 

With  all  their  spoils  the  expedition  returned,  via 
Leesburg,  arriving  at  their  camps  in  safety.  But  all 
eyes  were  turned  expectantly  towards  Fredericksburg, 
with  its  two  vast  armies  preparing  for  a grand  en- 
counter. 

Nearly  all  the  citizens  of  the  city  had  left  their 
homes  and  fled  southward. 

While  General  Burnside  waited  for  his  pontoons, Gen- 
eral Lee  was  fortifying  the  Heights  in  rear  of  the  city, 
and  concentrating  his  forces  for  the  anticipated  onset. 
This  state  of  things  was  greatly  regretted.  The  lay- 
ing of  pontoons  was  commenced  on  the  night  of  the 
eleventh  of  December,  but  the  work  progressed  so 
slowly  that  the  task  was  not  half  completed  when  day- 
light made  the  sappers  and  miners  a fair  mark  for  the 
sharpshooters,  who  were  hidden  among  the  buildings 
which  lined  the  opposite  shore,  and  Avhose  numbers 
had  largely  increased  within  a few  days.  Battery  after 
battery  was  opened  on  Falmouth  Heights,  until  not 
less  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  guns  at  good  range, 
were  belching  fire  and  destruction  upon  the  nearly  ten- 
antless city,  and  still  the  sharpshooters  prevented  the 
completion  of  the  pontoons,  and  disputed  our  cross- 
ing. At  this  critical  moment  the  Seventh  Michigan 
regiment  of  infantry,  immortalized  its  name.  Fail- 
ing, after  some  entreaty,  to  secure  the  assistance  of  the 
engineer  corps  to  row  them  across,  they  undertook  the 
perilous  labor  themselves,  and  amid  the  rattling  of  bul- 
lets, and  the  cheers  and  shouts  of  our  own  men,  they 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


217 


reached  the  opposite  shore  with  five  of  their  number 
killed,  and  sixteen  wounded,  including  Lieutenant  Col- 
onel Baxter.  They  immediately  dashed  through  the 
streets  of  the  city,  and  being  quickly  reenforced  by 
other  regiments,  they  soon  cleared  the  rifle-pits  and 
buildings  adjacent  to  the  stream,  of  all  annoyance. 
Foremost  among  the  noble  men  who  performed  this 
heroic  work  was  the  Rev.  Arthur  B.  Fuller,  chaplain 
of  the  Sixteenth  Massachusetts  infantry,  who  was  killed 
by  a rifle-shot. 

Our  pontoons  were  now  laid  in  quietness  to  the  city  ; 
and  about  three  miles  below,  General  Franklin  laid 
his  pontoons  without  opposition.  Several  bridges  were 
thus  constructed,  and  before  night  the  main  body  of 
infantry  and  cavalry  filed  across  the  river,  preparatory 
to  a grand  engagement.  The  morning  of  the  thir- 
teenth of  December  was  dimmed  by  a heavy  fog  which 
covered  friend  and  foe.  But  orders  for  an  attack  upon 
the  formidable  works  of  the  enemy  had  been  given,  and 
even  before  the  mist  arose,  General  Gibbon  opened  fire 
with  his  heavy  artillery,  which  was  responded  to,  but 
without  much  effect  owing  to  the  fog,  which  however 
disappeared  about  eleven  o’clock.  The  engagement 
now  became  general,  and  the  fighting  was  of  a charac- 
ter more  desperate  and  determined  than  ever  known 
before. 

The  line  of  Rebel  fortifications  was  so  far  back 
from  the  river,  that  our  artillery,  posted  on  Falmouth 
Heights,  was  out  of  range,  and  made  more  havoc  in 
our  advancing  ranks  than  in  the  ranks  of  the  enemy, 
until  the  fire  was  silenced  by  order  of  General  Burn- 
side. About  one  o’clock,  one  of  the  most  brilliant 


218 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


movements  of  the  day  was  performed  by  General 
George  G.  Meade’s  division,  which  by  a terrific  charge 
gained  the  crest  of  the  hill,  near  the  key  of  the  posi- 
tion. But  not  being  sufficiently  supported,  they  were 
compelled  to  retire,  bringing  away  several  hundred 
prisoners  with  them. 

Another  masterpiece  of  gallantry  was  presented 
nearer  the  town,  at  Marye’s  Heights,  where  General 
Meagher’s  Irish  Brigade  repeatedly  charged  the  Rebel 
works,  until  at  least  two-thirds  of  his  stalwart  men 
strewed  the  ground,  killed  and  wounded.  Brigade 
after  brigade  was  ordered  to  take  these  Heights,  and 
though  their  ranks  were  mown  down  like  grass  before 
the  scythe,  in  the  very  mouth  of  Rebel  guns  the 
effort  was  again  and  again  made.  Midway  up  the 
Heights  was  a stone  wall,  behind  which  lay  the  hosts 
of  the  enemy,  who  delivered  their  fire  with  scarcely 
any  exposure,  sweeping  down  our  columns  as  they 
approached.  This  hillside  was  completely  strewn  with 
our  dead  and  disabled,  and  at  length  our  assailing 
ranks  retired,  compelled  to  abandon  their  futile  and 
murderous  attempts.  But  in  the  language  of  General 
Sumner,  “ they  did  all  that  men  could  do.”  This 
could  be  applied  to  all  the  troops  engaged. 

Night  at  length  threw  her  sable  mantle  over  the 
bloody  field,  covering  in  her  somber  folds  the  stif- 
fened corpses  and  mangled  forms  of  not  less  than  fif- 
teen thousand  dead  and  wounded,  including  the  casu- 
alties of  both  armies. 

Not  one  of  all  our  dead  fell  more  lamented  than 
Major  General  George  D.  Bayard,  who  was  struck  by 
a shell  in  the  early  part  of  the  engagement  while  stand 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  US  I ON. 


219 


ing  in  front  of  his  cavalry  brigade  awaiting  orders. 
He  was  hut  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  of  prepossess- 
ing appearance  and  manners,  with  as  brave  a spirit  as 
ever  defended  the  flag  of  the  Union,  and  a capacity 
of  mind  for  military  usefulness  equal  to  any  man  in 
the  service.  Gradually  he  had  arisen  from  one  posi- 
tion of  honor  and  responsibility  to  another,  proving 
himself  tried  and  true  in  each  promotion,  while  his 
cavalry  comrades  especially  were  watching  the  devel- 
opments of  his  growing  power,  with  unabating  enthu- 
siasm. But  “ death  loves  a shining  mark  and  our 
hero,  with  his  own  blood,  baptized  the  day  which  had 
been  appointed  for  his  nuptials.  The  recital  of  his 
early  death  brought  tears  to  many  eyes,  and  caused 
many  a loving  heart  to  bleed. 

“ Death  lies  on  him  like  an  tmtimely  frost 

Upon  the  sweetest  flower  of  all  the  field.” 

The  night  following  this  bloody  conflict  was  horrible 
in  the  extreme.  Every  available  spot  or  building  in 
the  city  was  sought  for  a hospital,  to  which  the 
tvounded  were  brought  on  stretchers  by  their  compan- 
ions. Now  and  then  there  came  a poor  fellow  who  was 
able  to  walk,  supporting  with  one  hand  its  bloody 
mangled  mate.  At  times  two  men  might  be  seen  ap- 
proaching through  the  darkness,  supporting  between 
them  their  less  fortunate  comrade,  whose  bloody  gar- 
ments told  that  he  had  faced  the  foe.  But  many  of 
our  hospitals  proved  to  be  very  unsafe  refuges,  into 
which  Minie  balls  and  broken  shells  would  come  rat- 
tling, and  in  some  instances  destroying  the  precious 
lives  that  had  escaped — though  not  without  suffering 
— the  terrible  and  deadly  shock  of  battle.  Many  of 


220 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


the  wounded  were  taken  across  the  river,  and  made 
perfectly  safe  and  as  comfortable  as  circumstances 
would  permit.  The  Sanitary  and  Christian  Commis- 
sions rendered  very  effective  service,  enshrining  them- 
selves in  the  memory  of  a grateful  people.  Their 
deeds  of  charity  and  mercy  can  never  be  forgotten. 
By  their  timely  supplies  and  personal  labors,  many 
lives  were  saved,  and  thousands  of  the  wounded  were 
comforted. 

The  dawn  of  December  fourteenth  was  hailed  with 
gladness  by  many  a gallant  soldier  who  had  suffered 
from  the  chill  of  the  night,  wounded  and  alone  upon 
the  bloody  field.  A little  firing  occurred  during  the 
day  but  no  general  engagement  resulted.  This  was 
greatly  feared,  for  had  General  Lee  advanced  upon  us, 
it  is  difficult  to  see  how  our  men,  though  somewhat 
covered  by  the  fire  of  our  batteries  from  Falmouth 
Heights,  could  have  recrossed  the  stream  without  fear- 
ful loss.  But  both  armies  spent  most  of  the  holy  day 
in  the  sacred  task  of  caring  for  the  wounded  and  bury- 
ing their  dead.  Monday  was  also  spent  principally  in 
the  same  employment,  and  in  the  night,  so  skillfully  as 
to  be  unknown  even  to  the  Rebel  pickets,  our  whole 
army  was  withdrawn  to  the  north  side  of  the  river  in 
perfect  order  and  without  loss.  Our  pontoons  were 
then  taken  up. 

General  Burnside  was  not  willing  to  remain  totally 
idle,  and  after  some  time  had  elapsed  he  planned 
another  grand  movement,  which  with  more  or  less  oppo- 
sition from  his  subordinates  who  did  not  confide  in  his 
judgment,  he  endeavored  to  execute.  But  he  had  just 
taken  the  first  step  in  the  programme  when  he  was  sig- 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 


221 


naled  to  desist,  by  a telegram  from  the  President,  who 
had  been  informed  that  the  temper  of  the  army  was  not 
favorable  to  a general  move  under  its  present  com- 
mander. 

With  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg  terminated  the 
campaign  of  1862,  and  the  two  great  armies  established 
their  winter  quarters  facing  each  other  along  the  line 
of  the  Rappahannock.  Our  camps  extended  several 
miles  along  the  northern  shore  above  and  below  Fal- 
mouth, and  the  enemy  occupied  the  south  bank  above 
and  below  the  Heights  of  Fredericksburg.  Indeed, 
nearly  the  whole  territory  between  the  Rappahannock 
and  the  defences  of  Washington,  a dark,  forsaken 
wilderness  region,  with  only  here  and  there  a planta- 
tion or  a village,  was  soon  converted  into  a vast  camp- 
ing ground,  and  became,  for  a time,  the  most  populous 
section  of  Virginia. 


CHAPTER  X X I Y . 


MURFREESBORO  OR  STONE 
RIVER. 

Rosecrans  in  Command  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland. — The 
Christmas  Night  War-Council. — The  Muddy  March  Southward. — 
The  Midnight  Cavalcade. — “ Push  Them  Hard.” — Fog  and  Hard 
Marching. — In  front  of  Murfreesboro. — The  Rail  Tent. — The  Calm 
that  Precedes  the  Battle-Storm. — Star  Spangled  Banner. — McCook 
Surprised. — Sheridan  Stands  Firm. — The  Battle  nearly  Lost. — Gen- 
eral Eosecrans  Turns  the  Tide. —Desperate  Valor. — Negley’s  Men 
Cut  their  Way  Through  the  Confederate  Ranks. — The  Enemy 
Driven. — The  Last  Grand  Charge. — Magnificent  Victory. — Rose- 
crans’  Star  in  the  Ascendant. 


ENERAL  ROSECRANS,  having  succeeded  Gen- 


ii eral  Buell  in  the  command  of  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland,  established  his  headquarters  at  Nash- 
ville, and  for  two  months  previous  to  January,  1863, 
had  been  occupied  in  re-organizing  and  recruiting  his 
army,  securing  his  communications  and  accumulating 
supplies. 

On  Christmas  night,  1862,  a council  of  war  was 
held  at  General  Rosecrans’  headquarters,  which  did 
not  break  up  until  midnight.  McCook  was  there,  and 
Crittenden  and  Thomas.  It  was  decided  to  commence 
the  march  to  Murfreesboro  in  the  morning.  There 
Bragg’s  army  was  concentrated  and  there  Rosecrans 
proposed  to  give  him  battle. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION.  223 

When  at  the  middle  of  night,  the  corps  comman- 
ders left  their  general’s  door,  he  grasped  each  one  by 
the  hand  saying  as  he  did  so,  “ Spread  out  your  skir- 
mishers far  and  wide  ! Expose  their  nests  ! Keep 
fighting !” 

At  daylight  on  the  morning  of  the  twenty-sixth  the 
advance  was  commenced.  The  army  of  Rosecrans, 
nearly  fifty  thousand  strong,  took  up  their  line  of 
march  along  the  muddy  roads  and  drenched  fields, 
while  the  rain  poured  down  in  torrents  and  the  val- 
leys were  thick  with  mist.  But  after  two  months  of 
comparative  inactivity,  the  army  was  full  of  excite- 
ment at  the  prospect  of  renewing  the  contest,  and 
with  brave  hearts  they  marched  on,  seemingly  un- 
mindful of  the  rain. 

McCook  commanded  the  right,  Crittenden  the  left, 
and  Thomas  held  the  center — the  three  grand  divis- 
ions filling  every  road  leading  south  or  southwest  from 
Nashville.  It  was  not  until  some  hours  afterwards 
that  Rosecrans  and  staff  rode  out  from  the  city  to 
join  his  command.  The  fog  was  so  dense  on  the  right 
that  McCook  was  obliged  to  halt.  The  country  as 
they  advanced  increased  in  roughness  and  was  heav- 
ily wooded  with  thickets  of  oak  and  cedar. 

Two  miles  beyond  the  picket  lines  our  advance  en- 
countered large  bodies  of  Confederate  cavalry,  sup- 
ported by  infantry  and  artillery.  Sharp  skirmishing 
ensued  and  the  progress  of  the  Union  troops  was  ren- 
dered difficult  and  bloody.  After  the  day’s  toilsome 
march  through  the  mud  and  rain  and  over  the  broken 
country,  the  army,  at  night,  bivouacked  in  the  wet 
fields.  “ Through  the  darkness  and  storm,  Rosecrans 


224 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


with  his  escort  went  dashing  over  the  country,  in 
search  of  McCook’s  headquarters.  Their  horses’ 
hoofs  struck  fire  among  the  rocks,  and  they  swung 
along  at  such  a slashing  pace  that  one  of  his  escort 
finally  exclaimed  : “ General,  this  way  of  going  like 
li — 1 over  the  rocks  will  knock  up  the  horses.” 
“ That’s  true,”  he  replied,  “ walk.”  Moving  on  more 
slowly  through  the  impenetrable  blackness,  he  called 
an  orderly  and  said,  “ Go  back  and  tell  that  young 
man  he  must  not  be  profane.”  Reaching  McCook’s 
headquarters  in  the  woods  the  two  entered  a wagon 
and  sitting  down  on  the  bottom,  with  a candle  be- 
tween them  stuck  in  the  socket  of  a bayonet,  the 
point  of  which  was  driven  into  the  floor,  they  con- 
sulted together  of  the  movements  for  the  morrow. 
“ Push  them  hard”  were  his  last  words  as  he  arose  to 
his  feet.  Emerging  from  the  wagon  between  ten  and 
eleven  o’clock,  he  exclaimed,  “We  mount,  now,  gen- 
tlemen.” The  blast  of  a bugle  suddenly  rung  through 
the  forest,  rousing  up  the  staff,  some  of  whom,  tired 
with  being  ten  hours  in  the  saddle,  were  dozing  in 
their  blankets  upon  the  rocks  around.  To  the  “ Good 
night,”  of  McCook,  Rosecrans  added,  “ God  bless 
you !”  and  striking  the  spurs  into  his  horse,  dashed 
down  the  road,  splashing  the  mud  over  himself  and 
those  who  pressed  hard  after  him.  L'osing  his  way 
on  his  return,  he  “ charged  impatiently  ” through 
the  woods,  in  the  vain  effort  to  find  the  right  road. 
Amid  bugle  calls  and  shouts,  the  escort  got  separated 
and  confused,  and  lost  their  leader,  who,  with  a part 
of  his  staff,  wandered  off  alone,  and  at  length,  at  one 
o’clock  in  the  morning,  reached  his  camp — having 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 


225 


been  in  the  saddle  eighteen  hours.  The  others  did 
not  arrive  there  till  two  hours  later.”  On  the  next 
morning  the  landscape  continued  to  be  enveloped  in 
mist  and  the  marching  columns  pressed  slowly  on ; 
but  in  the  early  afternoon  the  fog  lifted  and  their  pro- 
gress was  more  sure.  As  they  advanced,  they  drove 
the  Confederate  skirmishers  before  them.  The  next 
day  being  Sunday,  the  army  rested,  but  before  sunrise 
on  Monday  morning,  the  Union  columns  were  again 
in  motion,  sweeping  southward.  Crittenden,  with 
Palmer’s  division  in  the  van,  went  forward  on  the 
main  Murfreesboro  road  to  Stone  River.  At  about 
three  o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  General  Palmer  sig- 
naled Rosecrans  that  Murfreesboro  was  in  sight  and 
that  the  enemy  were  retreating.  Rosecrans  at  once 
ordered  a division  into  the  town.  The  brigade  of 
Barker  was  sent  across  the  river  and  drove  a regi- 
ment of  the  enemy  back  upon  their  main  supports, 
but  some  captured  prisoners,  reporting  that  the  entire 
corps  of  Breckenridge  occupied  Murfreesboro,  Crit- 
tenden withdrew  Harker  across  the  river  without 
serious  disaster.  The  Confederates  were  driven  in  so 
sharply  on  the  Jefferson  and  Murfreesboro  pikes  that 
they  had  no  time  to  destroy  the  bridges  behind  them, 
on  which  they  crossed  Stone  River.  The  next  day — 
December  thirtieth — Rosecrans  was  up  at  three 
o’clock  in  the  morning,  and  the  Union  columns  were 
pushed  through  the  cedar  thickets  towards  the  point 
where  the  enemy  were  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle.  At 
about  seven  o’clock  Crittenden’s  advance  received  a 
sharp  fire  from  the  enemy. 

It  becoming  apparent  that  some  of  the  Confederate 


226 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 


cannoneers  were  making  a target  of  Rosecrans’  head- 
quarters, the  general  changed  his  position  to  the 
crest  of  a slope  a short  distance  away,  and  halting 
under  some  road-side  trees,  remained  there,  directing 
the  disposition  of  his  troops,  for  the  rest  of  the  day. 
A shed  was  constructed  by  placing  a pole  in  a couple 
of  crotched  sticks  and  covering  one  side  with  rails 
and  rubber  blankets.  Sheltered  from  the  rain  under 
this  improvised  roof,  the  staff  here  wrote  their  orders 
before  a blazing  camp  fire.  The  boom  of  cannon  from 
the  front,  the  Union  columns  wheeling  into  position, 
the  roll  of  musketry,  and  the  galloping  cavalry  and 
flying  orderlies  all  indicated  with  unerring  certainty, 
a great  battle  at  hand.  Just  at  this  time,  in  the 
gloom  and  rain,  the  band  of  the  Fourth  Cavalry 
struck  up  the  “ Star  Spangled  Banner  ” and  the 
patriot  strains  awoke  an  answering  chord  in  every 
heart  that  beat  under  the  army  blue. 

By  night  the  army  was  nearly  all  in  position, 
stretching  along  an  irregular  north  and  south  line  for 
the  distance  of  three  miles  and  facing  the  enemy. 
Our  left  rested  on  Stone  River,  the  extreme  right  un- 
der Willich,  brigade  commander,  being  placed  at  right 
angles  to  the  main  line  in  order  to  meet,  if  necessary, 
any  flank  movement  of  the  enemy.  The  right  wing, 
which  had  suffered  to  some  degree  from  the  deter- 
mined efforts  of  the  Confederates  to  repel  their  ad- 
vance, was  placed  along  an  elevation  of  ground,  cov- 
ered with  woods  and  fronting  an  open  field.  A valley 
of  cedar  and  oak  thickets  occupied  the  space  between 
the  front  of  this  ridge  and  the  lines  of  the  enemy. 

The  center  was  slightly  in  advance  of  the  main 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


227 


line,  while  the  left,  with  its  two  extremities  placed  in 
opposite  tracts  of  woods,  had  its  center  across  a broad 
cotton-field.  Thickets,  fields,  patches  of  forest-growth 
and  half-burned  clearings  stretched  behind. 

Half  a mile  away  lay  the  Confederate  army,  ar- 
ranged in  a line  parallel  to  our  own. 

The  right  wing  of  our  army  was  in  three  divisions, 
Johnson  holding  the  right,  Davis  the  center  and  Sher- 
idan the  left,  which  joined  the  center  of  Rosecrans’ 
army. 

The  peaceful  dawn  of  the  thirty-first  was  broken  by 
the  roll  of  the  drum  and  the  bugle-call,  ringing  down 
the  line.  Very  soon,  Van  Cleve’s  division  was  in  mo- 
tion. In  the  tent  of  General  Rosecrans,  the  solemn 
ceremony  of  High  Mass  was  being  celebrated,  after 
which  the  officers  with  their  overcoats  on,  gathered 
around  the  fires  in  the  wintry  morning.  Suddenly, 
Rosecrans  heard  the  sound  of  distant  firing  from  the 
direction  of  McCook’s  position.  But  in  nowise  dis- 
turbed he  went  on  talking,  supposing  that  all  was  go- 
ing on  as  he  expected.  But  there  had  been  a serious 
mistake  somewhere  in  calculations. 

“ Before  seven  o’clock  in  the  morning,  Hardee’s 
corps  burst  from  the  thickets  in  McCook’s  front  and 
on  his  right  ; Cleburne’s  four  brigades  charging  ve- 
hemently its  extreme  right,  Cheatham’s  and  McCown’s 
divisions  striking  it  more  directly  in  front,  hurling 
back  our  skirmishers  at  once  on  our  lines,  and  crumb- 
ling these  into  a fleeing  mob  within  a few  minutes. 
Of  the  two  brigade  commanders  in  Johnson’s  divis- 
ion, holding  our  extreme  right,  General  Kirk  was  se- 
verely wounded  at  the  first  fire  ; while  General  Wil- 

10 


228 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


lich  had  his  horse  killed  and  was  himself  captured. 
So  sudden  and  unexpected  was  the  attack,  that  a por- 
tion of  our  battery  horses  had  been  unhitched  from 
the  guns  and  sent  off  to  drink,  a few  minutes  before. 
The  guns,  of  course,  were  lost.”  McCook’s  attempt 
to  re-form  his  broken  ranks  behind  his  first  position 
was  a failure.  His  right  was  utterly  routed  and 
chased  back  towards  our  center.  If  Sheridan’s  di- 
vision had  given  way  before  the  sudden  onset  of  the 
enemy  like  the  other  two  divisions  under  Johnson, 
Rosecrans’  battle  would  have  been  a lost  cause.  But 
Sheridan  stood  fast.  Every  man  was  at  his  post  and 
every  artillery-man  at  his  gun,  awaiting  the  shock. 

The  hostile  columns  massed  before  the  batteries, 
several  regiments  deep,  and  marched  firmly  upon  our 
guns,  though  the  cannon-shot  tore  open  their  ranks 
with  fearful  havoc.  But  the  gaps  closed  up  as  quickly 
as  made,  and  they  marched  up  to  within  pistol-shot 
of  Sill’s  brigade.  At  this  point,  another  terrible  vol- 
ley of  fire  blazed  in  their  very  faces,  and  the  entire 
line  broke  and  fled.  Sill,  with  his  brigade,  charged 
after  them  in  pursuit,  chasing  them  to  the  woods. 
But  the  enemy  rallied  again  with  fresh  forces  and 
moved  against  Sheridan’s  flank.  Sheridan  then 
moved  up  to  Negley  and  joining  that  part  of  the  cen- 
ter, placed  his  troops  in  such  a position  that  they 
presented  two  slender  fronts  to  the  enemy.  His  ar- 
tillery was  located  at  the  angle  thus  formed  and  in 
this  manner  they  awaited  the  attack.  Three  times 
a desperate  advance  was  made  by  the  Confederates 
and  three  times  did  Sheridan  send  them  back  re- 
pulsed. The  enemy’s  artillery  was  pushed  forward 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


229 


until  the  guns  of  the  opposing  batteries  played  on 
each  other  at  rifle-shot  range.  The  slaughter  was 
deadly.  At  last  the  ammunition  gave  out,  and  owing 
to  the  capture  of  supply  trains  no  more  could  be  ob- 
tained. In  this  desperate  strait  and  with  the  Con- 
federates swarming  on  all  sides,  Sheridan  was  com- 
pelled to  fall  back,  leaving  nine  guns  on  the  field. 
There  was  no  panic — no  disorder ; but  slowly,  with 
unbroken  ranks  and  flying  colors,  did  those  brave  men 
retire. 

The  center  was  now  exposed  by  Sheridan’s  retreat, 
and  the  combined  forces  of  the  Rebels  concentrated 
their  attack  upon  that  portion  of  our  line.  Rosecrans 
arrived  on  the  field  just  as  Sheridan  was  retiring.  An 
aide  dashed  up  to  him  with  the  news  that  the  right 
had  given  way  and  the  center  was  fighting  alone. 

“ Tell  General  McCook  I will  help  him,”  exclaimed 
Rosecrans,  and  almost  immediately  his  troops  were 
marching,  on  the  double-quick,  across  the  field. 

An  aide  was  dispatched  to  Van  Cleve  to  send  a brig- 
ade to  the  right,  and  the  artillery  and  troops  were 
hurried  to  the  scene  of  battle. 

Rosecrans  dashed  forward  with  his  staff  at  a break- 
neck pace,  and  galloping  through  the  thickest  of  the 
fight,  down  Harker’s  front,  he  gained  an  eminence 
near  by,  from  which  the  position  of  his  troops  could 
be  seen.  Observing  a hostile  battery  playing  with 
deadly  effect  on  Harker’s  brigade,  he  shouted  to  the 
Chief  of  Artillery,  “ Silence  that  battery  !”  and  plant- 
ing the  guns  himself,  again  galloped  off  through  a 
whirlwind  of  shot.  He  met  Sheridan  with  his  retreat- 
ing troops  when  that  General  said  to  him,  “ We  have 


230 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 


no  cartridges  and  our  guns  are  empty.  Rosecrans 
directed  where  ammunition  could  he  found,  and  very 
soon,  Sheridan,  with  his  decimated  ranks,  was  once 
more  facing  the  foe. 

The  right  of  the  center  under  Negley,  uncovered 
by  Sheridan’s  retreat,  was  flanked,  and  the  brave  men 
were  obliged  to  cut  their  way  through  to  the  rear. 
The  left  still  occupied  its  position  on  the  river,  hold- 
ing it  with  determination,  and  Hazen,  commanding  the 
left  of  Negley’ s division,  stood  like  a rock,  holding 
the  key  of  the  position,  while  the  enemy  charged  his 
line  furiously,  but  in  vain. 

Meantime  Rosecrans  rapidly  formed  a new  line  of 
battle.  He  dashed  from  one  point  to  another  on  the 
field,  giving  orders  and  imbuing  the  men  with  his 
own  enthusiasm.  Six  batteries  were  massed  on  an 
eminence  which  commanded  the  approach  of  the 
enemy.  Their  advancing  columns  came  on  with 
steady  front  and  bristling  steel. 

The  shot  from  our  guns  tore  through  their  lines 
with  awful  havoc,  and  when  they  drew  nearer,  a wild 
and  resistless  charge  was  made  on  their  reeling  ranks. 
The  staff  officers,  in  imitation  of  their  brave  general, 
threw  themselves  enthusiastically  into  the  thickest  of 
the  fight,  waving  their  caps  and  leading  the  men  for- 
ward. 

The  Confederate  line  halted  and  then  gave  way  be- 
fore the  terrible  onset  of  our  troops,  leaving  the 
ground  thick  with  their  dead.  But  though  driven 
hack,  their  broken  lines  were  re-formed  with  their  re- 
serves and  again  they  advanced  to  the  attack  only  to 
be  again  hurled  back. 


BATTLES  FUR  TEE  UNION. 


231 


About  four  o’clock  Bragg  made  his  last  attempt, 
and  at  this  time  it  was  chiefly  directed  against  Pal- 
mer’s division  on  the  river.  But  Hazen  with  his  im- 
mortal thirteen  hundred,  still  held  the  ground  to 
which  they  had  clung  with  such  marvelous  tenacity 
during  the  day.  Says  Hazen  in  his  report : * * * 

“ About  four  o’clock  the  enemy  again  [advanced  upon 
my  front,  in  two  lines.  The  battle  had  hushed,  and 
the  dreadful  splendor  of  this  advance  can  only  be 
conceived,  as  all  description  must  fall  vastly  short. 
His  right  was  even  with  my  left,  and  his  left  was  lost 
in  the  distance. 

“ But  this  proud  array  had  lost  its  strength ; the 
confidence  of  victory  was  wanting,  and  at  the  first 
Volley  it  wheeled  and  disappeared.”  . 

At  sunset  the  battle  for  the  day  was  over  and  that 
night  there  was  a meeting  of  generals  at  head-quar- 
ters. Despite  the  desperate  fighting  of  the  past 
twenty-four  hours  and  the  advantages  gained,  they 
knew  that  the  enemy  was  not  beaten  and  that  the 
battle  would  probably  be  renewed  on  the  morrow. 
The  anxious  question  in  debate  was  whether  the  fight 
should  be  continued  next  day.  Rosecrans,  mounting 
his  horse,  rode  over  the  battle-ground,  ascertained 
that  there  was  ammunition  enough  on  hand,  examined 
the  country  and  returning,  said,  “ Gentlemen,  we  con- 
quer or  die  right  here.” 

The  die  was  cast,  and  Rosecrans,  making  a few 
changes  in  the  disposition  of  his  troops,  awaited  with 
anxious  heart  the  morning. 

In  the  forenoon  of  the  next  day,  Beattie  was  sent 
across  the  river  with  two  brigades  of  Van  Cleve’s 


232 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


division,  and  occupied  a lull  commanding  the  upper 
ford. 

At  about  three  o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  enemy 
advanced  from  the  thickets  in  front  of  Breckenridge’s 
position,  and  moved  forward  to  the  attack.  They 
crossed  the  open  cotton-fields  in  three  heavy  battle- 
lines, supported  by  three  batteries.  White  puffs  of 
smoke  soon  shot  out  from  the  hill-side  ; our  single 
battery  responded,  and  the  roar  of  guns  shook  the 
shores  of  the  stream.  At  first  they  came  on  with 
steady  step  and  even  front,  and  then,  like  a swollen 
torrent,  flung  themselves  forward  on  that  portion  of 
Van  Cleve’s  division  which  was  across  the  river,  and 
bore  it  back  and  over  the  stream  to  the  main  body. 
But  Rosecrans  was  prepared  for  this  movement — in 
fact,  when  it  occurred,  was  about  to  execute  his  origi- 
nal plan  and  swing  his  left  against  Breckenridge.  He 
hastily  massed  fifty-eight  cannon  on  an  eminence, 
where  they  could  completely  enfilade  the  successive 
columns  as  they  advanced.  Their  opening  roar  was 
terrific,  and  the  crash  of  the  iron  storm  through  the 
thick-set  ranks  was  overwhelming.  It  was  madness 
to  face  it,  yet  the  Rebel  columns  closed  up  and  pressed 
on ; but  as  they  came  within  close  range  of  our  mus- 
ketry, the  line  suddenly  seemed  to  shrivel  up  like  a 
piece  of  parchment,  in  the  fire  that  met  it,  yet,  pushed 
on  and  cheered  by  the  rear  lines,  the  ranks  endeav- 
ored to  bear  up  against  it  and  advance,  but  again 
halted  ; while  officers,  with  waving  caps  and  flashing 
swords,  galloped  along  the  lines  and  still  urged  them 
on.  They  had  now  got  so  near  that  the  men  could 
be  seen  to  topple  over  separately,  before  the  volleys. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


233 


A third  and  last  time  they  staggered  forward,  the  fore- 
most ranks  reaching  even  to  the  water’s  edge.  But 
here  they  stopped — it  was  like  charging  down  the  red 
mouth  of  a volcano.  Balancing  a moment  on  the 
edge  of  battle,  they  broke  and  fled.  With  a wild  and 
thrilling  shout,  our  troops  sprung  to  their  feet,  and 
charged  with  the  bayonet — dashing  like  madmen 
through  the  stream.  They  chased  the  flying  foe  for  a 
half  mile,  cheering  as  they  charged, their  cheers  caught 
up  by  those  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  and  sent 
back  with  increased  volume  and  power.  Darkness 
ended  the  fight,  and  Crittenden’s  entire  corps  passed 
over,  and  with  Davies  occupied  the  ground  so  gal- 
lantly won. 

The  next  night  Bragg  evacuated  Murfreesboro,  and 
the  following  morning  Rosecrans  celebrated  High 
Mass  in  praise  of  the  victory. 

The  Union  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  reached  the 
startling  estimate  of  nearly  nine  thousand  men,  or 
twenty  per  cent,  of  the  force  engaged.  Fifty  pieces  of 
artillery  were  also  lost ; but  though  the  cost  was  ter- 
rible, the  battle  was  tvon  ; thanks  to  the  grand  gener- 
alship of  Rosecrans,  the  desperate  valor  of  Sheridan, 
the  firmness  of  Hazen,  the  bravery  of  Thomas,  Critten- 
den, and  others,  and  the  unflinching  support  rendered 
by  the  soldiers  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland. 
There  is  little  doubt  that  at  one  time  the  battle  was 
nearly  lost  to  us,  and  but  for  the  decisive  action  of 
Rosecrans,  our  arms  would  have  met  with  reverse  in- 
stead of  being  crowned  with  victory.  That  General 
rose  at  once  to  a dizzy  height  in  the  popular  esteem, 
and  his  name  became  a talisman  of  victory. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


cxa:^.zsrcE!iLji_iOi:^s'vii_iijE. 

Successful  Strategy  of  General  Hooker. — Crossing  the  Rappahannock 
at  Sunrise. — The  Chancellorsville  House. — Lee’s  Position  Flanked. 
— The  Battle  Opened  by  Sykes. — Loss  of  Prestige  and  Position  by 
the  Union  Troops. — Capture  of  Prisoners  by  General  Birncy. — 
Stonewall  Jackson  Appears  Upon  the  Scene. — Our  Divisions  Over- 
whelmed by  the  Rebel  Hordes. — A Frantic  Stampede. — Heroism  of 
Major  Keenan,  and  his  men. — Death  of  Stonewall  Jackson. — A Fatal 
Hour. — Beating  a Retreat. — Hooker’s  Words  of  Praise. — Lincoln 
Visits  the  Camp  at  Falmouth. 

THE  last  days  of  April  1863,  witnessed  the  stratagem 
and  skill  of  General  Hooker,  in  li  is  advance  upon  the 
Confederate  position  on  the  south  hank  of  the  Rappa- 
hannock. A feint  of  crossing  the  river  below  Freder- 
icksburg with  his  entire  army  completely  deceived  the 
enemy  who  immediately  withdrew  his  forces  from  the 
upper  fords  and  concentrated  them  opposite  the  feigned 
point  of  attack. 

Three  corps  commanded  respectively  by  Generals 
Howard,  Slocum,  and  Meade,  had  been  sent  up  the 
river  but  marched  at  a sufficent  distance  from  the  hos- 
tile southern  banks  to  avoid  all  observation.  Arriv- 
ing at  Kelly’s  Ford  they  began  to  cross  though  it  was 
night,  and  the  men  were  compelled  to  wade  in  water 
up  to  their  armpits.  The  moon  which  shone  brightly 
assisted  them  several  hours,  but  went  down  before 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


235 


the  last  corps  had  crossed,  when  fording  had  to  be 
suspended  until  morning.  Pontoons  were  brought  up 
and  laid  at  sunrise,  and  then  the  remainder  of  the  in- 
fantry and  cavalry  corps  crossed  briskly. 

The  columns  advanced  towards  the  Rapidan,  and  the 
commands  of  Howard  and  Slocum  crossed  this  river 
at  Germania  Mills,  while  Meade’s  Corps  crossed  below 
at  Ely’s  Ford,  and  then  all  marched  on  roads  which 
converge  at  the  Chancellorsville  House,  a large  brick 
edifice,  which  was  used  as  a mansion  and  tavern,  situ- 
ated in  a small  clearing  of  a few  acres  and  which  with 
its  few  appendages  of  out-buildings  constituted  the  vil- 
lage known  by  that  name. 

Other  forces,  including  General  Pleasanton  with 
nearly  a brigade  of  cavalry  who  guarded  the  flanks  of 
the  advancing  columns  had  crossed  the  river,  and  taken 
position  near  Chancellorsville. 

By  this  wily  movent  General  Lee’s  position  on  the 
Rappahannock  had  been  entirely  flanked  ; and,  flushed 
with  incipient  success,  General  Hooker  followed  his 
great  captains,  and  in  the  evening,  thirtieth  of  April, 
lie  established  his  headquarters  in  the  historic  brick 
mansion  above  described.  So  completely  absorbed 
was  our  General  with  the  brilliancy  of  his  advance, 
that,  in  the  moment  of  exultation,  he  forgot  the  dan- 
ger of  his  situation  and  issued  the  following  congrat- 
ulatory order : 

Head-Quarters,  Army  of  the  Potomac, 

Camp  near  Falmooth,  Virginia,  April  30th,  1863. 

It  is  with  heartfelt  satisfaction  that  the  commanding  General 
announces  to  the  army  that  the  operations  of  the  last  three  days 
have  determined  that  our  enemy  must  either  ingloriously  fly,  or 

10* 


236 


BATTLES  FUR  THE  UNION. 


come  out  from  behind  his  defences  and  give  us  battle  on  our 
own  ground,  where  certain  destruction  awaits  him.  The  ope- 
rations of  the  Fifth,  Eleventh,  and  Twelfth  Corps  have  been  a 
succession  of  splendid  achievements. 

By  command  of  Major-General  HOOKER. 

S.  Williams,  Assistant  Adjutant  General. 

It  would  seem  as  if  the  General  had  overlooked  the 
fact  that  his  army  had  but  eight  days  supplies  at  hand  ; 
that  a treacherous  river  flowed  between  him  and  his 
depots  ; that  he  was  surrounded  by  a labyrinth  of  for- 
ests, traversed  in  every  direction  by  narrow  roads  and 
paths,  all  well  known  to  the  enemy,  but  unknown  even 
to  most  of  his  guides ; and  that  many  of  his  guns  of 
heaviest  calibre,  and  most  needed  in  a deadly  strife, 
were  on  the  other  side  the  river. 

General  Lee  had  undoubtedly  been  outgeneraled  by 
Hooker  in  this  movement,  but  he  appeared  not  to  have 
been  disconcerted.  Leaving  the  Heights  of  Freder- 
icksburg with  a small  force,  he  advanced  towards 
Chancellorsville. 

The  first  collision  between  the  contending  forces 
took  place  on  the  first  of  May.  General  Sickles  with 
a division  of  regulars  was  despatched  at  nine  o’clock 
in  the  morning  on  the  Old  Pike  to  Fredericksburg. 
He  was  followed  by  a part  of  the  Second  Corps.  Sykes 
had  not  proceeded  far  before  he  encountered  Lee  ad- 
vancing, and  a sharp  contest  ensued,  with  heavy  losses 
on  both  sides.  The  Rebels  having  the  best  ground, 
and  being  superior  in  numbers,  compelled  our  men  to 
fall  back,  which  they  did  in  tolerable  order,  bringing 
away  everything  but  their  dead  and  badly  wounded. 
But  the  enemy  followed  our  retreating  column,  though 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UN  TON. 


237 


cautiously,  and  filled  the  woods  with  sharpshooters. 
They  also  planted  their  heavy  batteries  on  hills  which 
partially  commanded  the  clearing  around  the  Chancel- 
lorsville  House.  This  gave  them  great  advantage. 
They  were  also  greatly  elated  with  the  success  which 
had  crowned  the  first  onset.  This  was  Hooker’s  first 
misfortune  or  mistake.  The  first  blow  in  such  an  en- 
gagement is  quite  as  important  as  the  last.  This  first 
movement  ought  to  have  been  more  powerful,  and 
ought  to  have  given  to  our  men  a foretaste  of  victory. 
Butwe  liadlost  prestige  and  position  which  undoubtedly 
weakened  us  not  a little.  The  night'  following  passed 
quietly  away,  except  that  the  leaders  were  laying  their 
plans  for  future  operations. 

About  eight  o’clock  on  the  morning  of  the  second, 
it  was  reported  that  a heavy  column  of  the  enemy  was 
passing  rapidly  towards  our  right,  whither  the  Eleventh 
Corps  had  been  stationed.  This  movement  was  hid- 
den by  the  forests,  though  the  road  over  which  the 
column  passed  was  not  far  from  our  front.  A rifled 
battery  was  opened  upon  this  moving  column,  which, 
though  out  of  sight,  was  thrown  into  disorder,  at  which 
time  General  Birney  made  a charge  upon  them  with 
such  force  as  to  capture  and  bring  away  five  hundred 
prisoners.  By  successive  and  successful  advances,  by 
sunset  our  men  had  broken  this  column  and  held  the 
road  upon  which  they  had  been  marching  to  some 
scene  of  mischief.  But  the  evil  was  not  cured,  as 
other  roads  more  distant  and  better  screened  were  fol- 
lowed by  the  wily  foe. 

J ust  before  dark  Stonewall  J ackson,  with  about  twen- 
ty-five thousand  veterans,  fell  like  a whirlwind  upon 


238 


BATTLES  FOB  THE  UNION. 


the  Eleventh  Corps,  which  he  had  flanked  so  cautiously 
and  yet  so  rapidly  that  our  German  comrades  were 
taken  by  surprise  while  preparing  their  suppers,  with 
arms  stacked,  and  no  time  to  recover.  It  is  not  at  all 
wonderful  that  men  surprised  under  these  circumstan- 
ces should  become  panic  stricken  and  flee.  Let  not  the 
censure  rest  upon  the  rout,  but  upon  the  carelessness 
that  led  to  the  surprise. 

Whole  divisions  were  now  overwhelmed  by  the  Rebel 
hordes,  that  swept  forward  amid  blazing  musketry  and 
battle-shouts,  which  made  the  wilderness  resound; 
and  a frantic  stampede  commenced  which  not  all  the 
courage  and  effort  of  commanding  generals,  or  the 
intrepidity  of  some  regiments  could  check,  and  which 
threatened  to  rout  the  entire  army.  This  unforeseen 
disaster  changed  the  whole  programme  of  the  battle, 
and  greatly  disheartened  our  men. 

However,  the  ground  was  not  to  be  abandoned  so 
ingloriously,  and  though  our  lines  were  broken,  and 
the  enemy  had  gained  a great  advantage,  heroism 
was  yet  to  manifest  its  grand  spirit,  and  to  achieve 
undying  laurels.  The  sun  had  gone  down  refusing 
to  look  upon  this  Union  defeat  and  slaughter,  but  the 
pale-faced  moon  gazed  with  her  weird  light  upon  the 
bloody  scene,  while  the  carnage  still  continued. 

With  the  disaster  of  the  Eleventh  Corps,  General 
Sickles,  who  was  stationed  in  the  front  and  center  of 
our  lines,  and  had  been  preparing  to  deal  a heavy 
blow  upon  the  enemy,  was  left  in  a critical  position. 
His  expectation  of  assistance  from  General  Howard 
was  not  only  cut  off,  but  he  was  left  with  only  two  di- 
visions and  his  artillery  to  meet  the  shock  of  the  ad- 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


239 


vancing  hosts.  General  Pleasanton,  with  his  small 
force  of  cavalry,  being  under  Sickles’  command,  was 
ordered  to  charge  the  proud  columns  of  the  enemy, 
with  the  hope  of  checking  them  until  our  batteries 
could  be  suitably  planted. 

Pleasanton,  addressing  Major  Keenan  of  the  Eighth 
Pennsylvania  Cavalry,  said,  “ You  must  charge  into 
those  woods  with  your  regiment,  and  hold  the  Rebels 
until  I can  get  some  of  these  guns  into  position.  You 
must  do  it  at  whatever  cost.” 

“ I will,”  was  the  noble  response  of  the  true  sol- 
dier, who,  with  only  about  five  hundred  men,  was  to 
encounter  columns  at  least  twenty-five  thousand 
strong,  led  by  Stonewall  Jackson  ! The  forlorn  charge 
was  made,  but  the  martyr-leader,  with  the  majority  of 
his  dauntless  troopers,  soon  baptized  the  earth  upon 
which  he  fell,  with  his  life  blood.  But. the  precious 
sacrifice  was  not  in  vain.  The  Rebel  advance  was 
greatly  checked,  as  when  a trembling  lamb  is  thrown 
into  the  jaws  of  a pursuing  pack  of  ravenous  wolves. 

The  two  determined  generals  improved  these  dearly 
bought  moments  in  planting  their  own  batteries,  and 
getting  in  readiness  also  several  guns  which  had  been 
abandoned  by  the  Eleventh  Corps  in  its  flight.  All 
these  guns  were  double-shotted,  and  all  due  prepara- 
tion was  made  for  the  expected  stroke.  It  was  a mo- 
ment of  trembling  suspense.  Our  heroes  waited  not 
long,  when  the  woods  just  in  front  of  them  began  to 
swarm  with  the  advancing  legions  of  the  foe,  who 
opened  a vigorous  musketry  fire,  and  charged  towards 
our  guns.  Darkness  was  falling ; but  the  field  where 
the  batteries  were  planted  was  so  level  that  the  gun- 


240 


BATTLES  FOR  1HE  UNION. 


ners  could  do  wonderful  execution.  And  this  they 
did.  The  Rebel  charge  had  just  commenced  when 
our  guns  simultaneously  opened  with  a withering  fire, 
which  cut  down  whole  ranks  of  living  flesh  like  grass. 
As  one  line  of  embattled  hosts  melted  away,  another 
rushed  forward  in  its  place  to  meet  the  same  sad  fate. 
Three  successive  and  desperate  charges  were  made, 
one  of  them  to  within  a few  yards  ot  the  guns,  but 
each  was  repulsed  with  terrible  slaughter.  In  many 
places  the  dead  were  literally  in  heaps.  Our  resist- 
ance proved  successful. 

A little  later  in  the  night,  and  right  in  front  of 
these  batteries,  fell  Stonewall  Jackson,  mortallj 
wounded  by  our  scathing  fire,  as  was  at  first  sup 
posed,  but  more  likely  by  the  fire  of  his  own  infantry 
as  one  of  their  writers  alleges.  Speaking  of  Jackson 
he  says,  “ Such  was  his  ardor,  at  this  critical  moment 
and  his  anxiety  to  penetrate  the  movements  of  thb 
enemy,  doubly  screened  as  they  were  by  the  dense, 
forest  and  gathering  darkness,  that  he  rode  ahead  of 
his  skirmishers,  and  exposed  himself  to  a close  ana 
dangerous  fire  from  the  enemy’s  sharpshooters,  posted 
in  the  timber. 

“ So  great  was  the  danger  which  he  thus  ran,  that 
one  of  his  staff  said  : ‘ General,  don’t  you  think  this 
is  the  wrong  place  for  you  ?’  He  replied  quickly : 
‘ The  danger  is  all  over ; the  enemy  is  routed.  Go 
back,  and  tell  A.  P.  Hill  to  press  right  on.’  Soon 
after  giving  this  order  General  Jackson  turned,  and, 
accompanied  by  his  staff  and  escort,  rode  back  at  a 
trot,  on  his  well-known  4 Old  Sorrel.’  toward  his  own 
men.  Unhappily,  in  the  darkness — it  was  now  nine 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 


241 


or  ten  o’clock  at  night — the  little  body  of  horsemen 
was  mistaken  for  Federal  cavalry  charging,  and  the 
regiments  on  the  right  and  left  of  the  road  fired  a 
sudden  volley  into  them  with  the  most  lamentable 
results.  Captain  Boswell,  of  General  Jackson’s  staff, 
chief  of  artillery,  was  wounded ; and  two  couriers 
were  killed.  General  Jackson  received  one  ball  in 
his  left  arm,  two  inches  below  the  shoulder  joint, 
shattering  the  bone  and  severing  the  chief  artery  ; a 
second  passed  through  the  same  arm,  between  the 
elbow  and  wrist,  making  its  exit  through  the  palm  of 
the  hand  ; a third  ball  entered  the  palm  of  his  right 
hand,  about  the  middle,  and,  passing  through,  broke 
two  of  the  bones. 

“ He  fell  from  his  horse,  and  was  caught  by  Cap- 
tain Wormly,  to  whom  he  said,  ‘All  my  wounds  are 
by  my  own  men.’  ” 

The  loss  of  this  heroic  chieftain,  this  swift  flanker 
and  intrepid  leader,  was  undoubtedly  the  greatest  yet 
felt  by  either  army  in  the  fall  of  a single  man.  Some 
report  that,  on  hearing  of  the  sad  fall  of  his  chief 
captain,  General  Lee  exclaimed,  “ I would  rather 
have  lost  twenty  thousand  men !” 

Admitting  that  the  Rebels  gained  in  this  battle  a 
great  victory,  its  advantages  were  dearly  purchased 
by  the  loss  of  Thomas  Jonathan  Jackson.  About 
midnight  a fierce  charge  was  made  by  General  Sickles’ 
forces,  which  proved  successful,  enabling  our  boys  to 
recover  much  of  the  ground  formerly  occupied  by  the 
unfortunate  Eleventh  Corps,  and  they  brought  back 
with  them  some  abandoned  guns  and  other  valuable 
articles  from  the  debris , which  the  Rebels  had  not 
time  or  disposition  to  disturb. 


242 


BATTLES  FOB  THE  UNION. 


General  Hooker  then  ordered  this  exposed  position 
to  be  abandoned,  and  by  daylight  our  lines  were  fall- 
ing back  in  good  order  towards  Chancellorsville,  but 
were  closely  pursued  by  the  enemy,  who  tilled  the 
woods.  Several  determined  charges  were  made  upon 
our  retreating  columns,  which,  however,  were  repelled 
mostly  by  the  tire  of  our  artillery,  which  mowed  down 
hundreds  as  they  rushed  recklessly  almost  to  the  can- 
non’s mouth.  But  these  batteries  had  been  played 
and  worked  so  incessantly  for  the  last  twelve  hours, 
that  ammunition  began  to  fail,  and  General  Sickles 
sent  a message  to  Hooker  that  assistance  must  be 
granted  him,  or  he  would  be  compelled  to  yield  his 
ground.  The  officer  who  brought  the  despatch,  found 
General  Hooker,  in  a senseless  state,  surrounded  by 
his  hopeless  attendants,  while  general  confusion  had 
possession  of  the  head-quarters.  A few  minutes  pre- 
vious to  this  a cannon-ball  had  struck  the  wall  of  the 
mansion  upon  which  the  general  was  incidentally 
leaning,  the  concussion  felling  him  to  the  floor.  For 
some  time  he  was  supposed  to  be  dead,  but  soon  giv- 
ing signs  of  returning  consciousness,  General  Couch, 
who  was  next  in  rank,  refused  to  assume  command, 
and  hence  about  an  hour  of  precious  time  was  lost. 
This  was  a fatal  hour.  Had  General  Hooker  been 
able  to  receive  Sickles’  message,  and  ordered  a heavy 
lorce  to  his  assistance,  it  is  thought  that  a great  dis- 
aster could  have  been  prevented,  and  probably  a vic- 
tory might  have  been  gained. 

But  the  golden  opportunity,  which  is  seldom  dupli- 
cated in  a given  crisis  or  a life-time,  was  lost ; and  the 
enemy,  though  somewhat  disorganized  and  badly  dis- 


BATTLES  FOR  T11E  UNION.  ' £43 

heartened  by  our  well-managed  batteries,  had  time, 
during  this  lull,  to  recover  strength.  They  then  ad- 
vanced again  with  such  power  as  to  compel  our  men 
to  retire  from  Chancellorsville  toward  the  Rappahan- 
nock, leaving  the  brick  mansion  a mass  of  ruins,  made 
such  by  the  fire  of  the  enemy. 

By  noon  General  Hooker  had  recovered  his  con- 
sciousness sufficiently  to  order  the  movements  of  his 
troops.  The  fighting  on  his  front  was  now  nearly 
over,  but  his  position  was  critical.  General  Sedgwick, 
who  had  been  directed  to  cross  the  Rappahannock 
below  Fredericksburg,  with  orders  to  advance  thence 
against  all  obstacles  until  he  could  fall  upon  General 
Lee’s  rear,  while  the  grand  army  engaged  him  in 
front,  found  it  impossible  to  proceed  as  rapidly  as  was 
expected  of  him,  and  was  finally  repulsed  with  such 
slaughter  and  pursued  with  such  vigor  as  to  be 
compelled  to  recross  the  river,  leaving  at  least  five 
thousand  of  his  men  killed,  wounded,  and  captured  in 
the  hands  of  the  enemy. 

No  alternative  seemed  now  left  to  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  but  to  beat  a retreat  and  recross  the  river. 
On  the  evening  of  the  fifth,  General  Hooker  held  a 
council  of  war  with  his  commanders,  at  which,  how- 
ever, nothing  was  decided  upon ; but  in  the  night  he 
took  the  responsibility  of  ordering  all  his  forces  to  re- 
cross the  Rappahannock,  which  they  did  in  good  order 
and  without  molestation ; and  thus  ended  the  disas- 
trous battle  of  Chancellorsville,  with  a loss  of  about 
eighteen  thousand  men  on  each  side,  and  our  remain- 
ing troops  returned  to  bivouac  on  their  old  camping- 
ground  on  the  north  bank  of  the  river  near  Falmouth. 


Battles  for  tije  union. 


241 

This  retrograde  movement  was  undoubtedly  con- 
sidered to  be  necessary  in  consequence  of  the  impend- 
ing storm,  which  set  in  about  four  o’clock  of  the 
afternoon  of  the  fifth,  and  rendered  the  march  and 
night  exceedingly  disagreeable.  The  river  was  swol- 
len so  rapidly  as  to  set  adrift  several  of  our  pontoons, 
and  the  act  of  recrossing,  though  orderly,  was  by  no 
means  pleasant.  The  storm  was  cold  and  violent,  and 
the  roads  soon  became  so  bad  as  to  remind  the  boys 
of  Burnside’s  unfortunate  advance  in  January.  It  is 
supposed  by  some  that  the  rain  explains  satisfactorily 
the  conduct  of  the  enemy,  who  seemed  to  make  no  at- 
tempt whatever  to  follow  our  returning  troops. 

While  yet  the  rain  was  drenching  our  weary  boys 
on  the  sixth,  General  Hooker  issued  a congratulatory 
order  to  them  and  the  country,  in  which  are  to  be 
found  the  following  characteristic  passages  : 

“ The  Major-General  commanding  tenders  to  this 
army  his  congratulations  on  its  achievements  of  the 
last  seven  days.  If  it  has  not  accomplished  all  that 
was  expected,  the  reasons  are  well  known  to  the  army. 
It  is  sufficient  to  say  they  were  of  a character  not  to 
be  foreseen  nor  prevented  by  human  sagacity  or  re- 
sources. 

“ In  withdrawing  from  the  south  bank  of  the  Rap- 
pahannock before  delivering  a general  battle  to  our 
adversaries,  the  army  has  given  renewed  evidence  of 
its  confidence  in  itself  and  its  fidelity  to  the  princi- 
ples it  represents.  In  fighting  at  a disadvantage,  we 
would  have  been  recreant  to  our  trust,  to  our.selves, 
our  cause,  and  our  country.  Profoundly  loyal,  and 
conscious  of  its  strength,  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


245 


will  give  or  decline  battle  whenever  its  interest  or 
honor  may  demand.  It  will  also  he  the  guardian  of 
its  own  history  and  its  own  honor. 

“ By  our  celerity  and  secrecy  of  movement,  our 
advance  and  passage  of  the  rivers  was  undisputed, 
and,  on  our  withdrawal,  not  a Rebel  ventured  to 
follow. 

“ The  events  of  the  last  week  may  swell  with  pride 
the  heart  of  every  officer  and  soldier  of  this  army. 
We  have  added  new  luster  to  its  former  renown.  We 
have  made  long  marches,  crossed  rivers,  surprised  the 
enemy  in  his  intrenchments,  and,  wherever  we  have 
fought,  have  inflicted  heavier  blows  than  we  have  re^ 
ceived.  We  have  taken  from  the  enemy  five  thousand 
prisoners  and  fifteen  colors ; captured  and  brought  off 
seven  pieces  of  artillery  ; placed  hors  de  combat  eight- 
een thousand  of  his  chosen  troops,  destroyed  his 
depots  filled  with  a vast  amount  of  stores  ; deranged 
his  communications  ; captured  prisoners  within  the 
fortifications  of  his  capital,  and  filled  his  country  with 
fear  and  consternation.  We  have  no  other  regret 
than  that  caused  by  the  loss  of  our  brave  companions  ; 
and  in  this  we  are  consoled  by  the  conviction  that  they 
have  fallen  in  the  holiest  cause  ever  submitted  to  the 
arbitrament  of  battle.” 

This  order,  if  not  perfectly  satisfactory  to  the  coun- 
try and  to  the  authorities,  was  generally  hailed  with 
applause  by  the  army,  which  recognized  in  its  saga- 
cious rendering  of  our  difficulties  and  humiliations 
the  meed  of  praise  awarded  where  it  was  due. 

The  two  great  armies  once  more  confronted  each 
other  from  either  bank  of  the  river,  as  they  had  done 


246 


BATTLES  FOR  TUB  UNION. 


during  all  the  winter  and  spring  months.  On  the 
seventh  of  May,  President  Lincoln  visited  the  camp 
near  Falmouth,  conferred  with  his  generalissimo  on 
movements  past  and  future,  appeared  pleased  with  the 
spirit  and  morale  of  the  troops,  and  returned  to  Wash- 
ington to  continue  his  earnest  toil  for  the  nation’s  life 
and  well-being. 

During  the  month  of  May,  quite  a depletion  of  the 
rank  and  file  of  the  army  took  place,  by  the  muster- 
ing out  of  large  numbers  of  three  months’  and  two 
years’  men.  And  such  had  been  the  depressing  in- 
fluence of  Chancellorsville  upon  the  country,  that  the 
places  of  these  men  were  not  very  easily  filled.  To 
the  sagacious  leaders  in  political  and  military  circles 
this  state  of  things  was  not  a little  alarming.  But  to 
the  Confederate  leaders  the  times  were  affording  op- 
portunities for  grand  schemes,  and  for  the  execution 
of  movements  most  startling. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


ALiDIE. 

Hooker  Entraos  Lee  — Reconnoissance  of  Pleasanton. — Aldie  in 
Sight. — The  Grand  Charge. — Harris  Light  in  the  Van. — Fitzhugh 
Lee’s  Desperate  Efforts. — The  Desired  Opportunity. — Battle  of  the 
Haystacks. — The  Harris  Light  Wins. — Colonel  Cesnola. — The 
Sword  Presentation. — Last  Desperate  Attempt  of  the  Enemy. — • 
Driven  From  the  Field  in  Panic. — The  Battle  Won. 

THE  second  cavalry  battle  at  Brandy  Station,  fought 
June  ninth,  1863,  exposed  the  real  movements 
of  Lee  and  convinced  Hooker  beyond  question  that 
it  was  the  intention  of  his  opponent  to  cross  the  Po- 
tomac at  some  point  near  Harper’s  Ferry  and  again 
lead  his  army  into  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania.  No 
effort  was  made  to  prevent  or  check  this  advance.  Gen- 
eral Hooker  contented  himself  with  moving  slowly  on 
and  carefully  watching  the  development  of  the  Con- 
federate plans,  until  his  various  corps  reached  Fairfax 
Court  House.  Here  he  made  his  head-quarters  for 
several  days,  pushing  his  columns  well  out  towards 
Aldie  and  Thoroughfare  Gap. 

This  delay  was  purposely  made,  in  order  that  Lee 
might  have  ample  time  to  reach  a point  from  which  he 
could  not  retreat  without  a battle.  The  tardiness  of 
the  Confederate  general  in  reaching  the  banks  of  the 
Potomac  caused  considerable  uneasiness  in  the  mind 
of  Hooker.  To  solve  this  mystery,  General  Pleasan- 


248 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


tort  was  instructed  to  make  a reconnoisance  in  force. 
At  six  o’clock  on  the  morning  of  June  seventeenth, 
1868,  the  Cavalry  corps,  with  Kilpatrick’s  division  in 
the  advance,  moved  from  its  temporary  encampment 
near  Centreville. 

Taking  the  Warrenton  Turnpike  we  soon  crossed 
the  memorable  field  of  Bull  Run,  passed  the  famous 
Plains  of  Manassas,  and  at  mid-day  came  in  sight  of 
the  mountain  heights  surrounding  the  little  village  of 
Aldie.  This  place  is  situated  in  a gap  of  the  Bull 
Run  Mountains,  and  Kilpatrick  had  orders  to  pass 
southward  through  this  gate,  thence  through  the  Blue 
Ridge  at  Ashby’s  Gap,  and  track  the  movements  of 
Lee. 

The  force  under  Kilpatrick  consisted  of  the  Harris 
Light,  Colonel  Davies  ; Fourth  New  York,  Colonel 
Cesnola : The  First  Massachusetts,  First  Rhode  Isl- 
and, Sixth  Ohio  Cavalry,  Colonel  Duffie ; and  a sec- 
tion of  artillery  under  Lieutenant  Randall.  The  Har- 
ris Light  led  the  division.  We  marched  in  column  of 
fours,  and  on  that  day  my  squadron  was  the  advance 
guard.  As  I was  at  that  time  chief  of  the  first  platoon, 
my  place  was  at  the  head  of  the  long  column  which 
wound  down  the  road. 

As  we  came  upon  Aldie,  the  advance  guard  of  the 
enemy  under  W.  H.  F.  Lee  was  unexpectedly  encoun- 
tered. But  Kilpatrick  proved  himself  equal  to  the  oc- 
casion and  met  the  surprise  gallantly.  Dashing  to  the 
front,  he  made  a rapid  survey  of  the  situation,  and 
then  came  the  command,  in  his  clear,  ringing  tones, 
“ Form  platoons  ! Trot ! March  !”  Down  through  the 
streets  of  the  town  we  charged,  and  along  the  Middle- 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


249 


burg  Road  leading  over  the  low  bill  beyond.  This  fine 
position  was  gained  so  quickly  and  so  successfully,  that 
Fitzhugh  Lee,  taken  by  surprise,  made  no  opposition 
to  our  brilliant  advance  ; though  immediately  after- 
wards he  rallied  and  fought  desperately  for  two  hours 
to  gain  the  lost  position,  while  the  guns  of  his  bat- 
tery blazed  destruction  upon  our  lines.  But  Randall’,^ 
guns  blazed  in  return,  tearing  open  the  Confederate 
ranks  with  their  shot  and  shell,  and  our  boys  hand- 
somely repulsed  their  attack. 

On  the  crest  of  the  hill  up  which  our  platoons 
charged,  there  was  a field  of  hay-stacks,  not  yet  gar- 
nered, inclosed  in  a barricade  of  rails.  Behind  these 
the  enemy  occupied  a strong  position,  and  their  sharp- 
shooters had  annoyed  our  lines  to  such  an  extent  that 
they  prevented  our  advance  on  the  left. 

It  was  well  known  to  the  officers  of  the  Harris 
Light,  that  our  regiment  had  not  met  Kilpatrick’s 
expectations,  on  the  field  of  Brandy  Station,  and  on  the 
morning  of  this  battle  we  had  asked  our  General 
‘ for  an  opportunity  to  retrieve  our  reputation.” 
This  chance  came  soon  enough.  Kilpatrick,  ordering 
forward  a battalion  of  the  Harris  Light,  and  giving 
the  men  a few  words  of  encouragement,  turned  to 
Major  Mclrvin  and  pointing  to  the  field  of  hay-stacks, 
said,  “ Major  there  is  the  opportunity  you  have  asked 
for.  Go  take  that  position  ! ” Away  dashed  this  offi- 
cer and  his  men.  In  a moment  the  enemy  was  reached, 
and  the  struggle  began.  The  horses  could  not  leap 
the  barricade,  but  the  men  dismounted,  scaled  those 
formidable  barriers,  and  with  drawn  sabres,  rushed 
■upon  the  hidden  foe,  who  quickly  asked  for  quarter. 


250 


BA  TTLES  FOB  TEE  UNION. 


“ Another  incident  occurred  worth  mentioning. 
Colonel  Cesnola,  of  the  Fourth  New  York  Cavalry, 
had  that  morning,  through  mistake,  been  placed  under 
arrest,  and  his  sword  being  taken  from  him  was  with- 
out arms.  But  in  one  of  these  wild  charges,  made 
early  in  the  contest,  his  regiment  hesitated.  Forget- 
ing  that  he  was  under  arrest,  and  without  command, 
he  flew  to  the  head  of  his  regiment,  reassured  his  men, 
and,  without  a weapon  to  give  or  ward  a blow,  led  them 
to  the  charge.  This  gallant  act  was  seen  by  his  gen- 
eral, who,  meeting  him  on  his  return,  said  : ‘Colonel, 
you  are  a brave  man  ; you  are  released  from  arrest ; ’ 
and,  taking  his  own  sword  from  his  side,  handed  it  to 
the  colonel,  saying : Here  is  my  sword ; wear  it  in 
honor  of  this  day  ! ’ In  the  next  charge  Colonel  Ces- 
nola fell,  desperately  wounded  and  was  taken  prisoner.” 

But  the  enemy,  though  repulsed  and  driven  on  every 
side,  again  rallied  for  a last  desperate  attempt.  Mass- 
ing a heavy  force  on  our  right,  General  Rosser  led 
them  in  a wild  charge  upon  our  lines.  The  First 
Massachusetts,  on  the  extreme  right,  received  the 
shock  of  this  terrible  onset,  and  though  compelled 
to  fall  back,  they  fought  steadily  and  bravely  until 
the  rest  of  the  right  gave  way.  Then  ensued  a scene 
of  confusion  and  flight  that  sickened  the  heart 
of  their  brave  General.  But  Kilpatrick  quickly 
rushed  to  the  rescue  and  prevented  the  threatened  dis- 
aster. Randall  was  ordered  to  double-shot  the  guns 
of  his  battery  ; the  center  and  left  were  told  to  hold 
their  ground,  and  placing  himself  at  the  head  of  the 
First  Maine,  he  waited  until  the  Confederate  columns 
were  within  fifty  yards  of  Randall’s  battery.  “ For- 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNIOX. 


251 


ward  !”  was  the  order  that  then  rung  along  the  lines, 
aad  with  resistless  fury  they  swept  down  on  the  advanc- 
ing Rebel  ranks,  causing  them  to  reel  and  break  in  con- 
fused and  disordered  flight.  Kilpatrick’s  horse  was 
killed  under  him,  but  determined  to  complete  the  vic- 
tory, he  mounted  a fresh  one  and  led  his  whole  line  in 
a last  charge  against  the  flying  foe.  For  a short  time 
Lee  endeavored  to  withstand  this  fierce  attack,  but 
finding  his  effort  useless,  sounded  a retreat  which 
quickly  became  a rout.  His  troops  were  driven  in 
confusion  as  far  as  Middleburg,  and  night  alone  saved 
the  remnant  of  his  command. 

“ This  was  by  far  the  most  bloody  cavalry  battle  of  the 
war.  The  Rebel  chivalry  had  again  been  beaten,  and 
Kilpatrick,  who  was  the  only  general  on  the  field,  at 
once  took  a proud  stand  among  the  most  famous  of  our 
Union  cavalry  generals.  The  fame  of  our  cavalry  was 
now  much  enhanced,  and  caused  the  greatest  joy  to  the 
Nation.” 

Many  a brave  soul  suffered  death’s  sad  eclipse  at 
Aldie,  whose  hopes  brimmed  high  on  the  morning  of 
that  eventful  day  ; and  many  a one  escaped  the  storm 
of  bullets  unscathed  when  to  escape  was  marvelous. 
In  looking  back  upon  that  desperate  day,  I have  often 
wondered  by  what  strange  fatality  I passed  through 
its  rain  of  fire  unhurt,  but  the  field  which  brought  a 
harvest  of  death  to  so  many  others,  marked  an  era  in 
my  own  humble,  military  history  which  I recall  with 
pride  and  pleasure ; for.  from  the  battle  of  Aldie  I 
date  my  first  commission.  The  mantle  of  rank  which 
fell  from  one  whom  death  made  a shining  mark,  on 
that  ground,  dropped  upon  my  shoulders,  and  I was 

11 


252 


BA  TTLES  FUR  THE  UX1UX. 


proud  and  grateful  to  wear  it  in  my  country’s  service. 
I feel  a just  pride  also  in  having  been  a participant  in 
the  “battle  of  the  haystacks”,  where  the  glorious 
squadrons  of  the  Harris  Light,  swept  into  the  mad 
conflict  with  the  same  resistless  bravery  that  distin- 
guished them  on  the  field  of  Brandy  Station. 

Every  soldier  of  the  saddle  who  there  fought  under 
the  grand  leadership  of  Kilpatrick,  may  justly  glory 
in  the  laurels  won  at  Aldie. 


CHAPTER  XX  Y II . 

UFPEFLVIIjIjE. 

Union  Advance  from  Middleburg — Rebel  Pickets  Encountered. — The 
Fight  Commenced. — Stone  Fence  Barricades. — A Succession  of 
Brilliant  Charges. — The  Harris  Light  Drives  the  Enemy. — Splen- 
did Cavalry  Action. — Stand  at  Upperville. — The  Enemy  Again 
Driven. — Union  Forces  Triumphant. — General  Pleasanton’s  Re- 
port. 

THE  running  cavalry  fight  -which  began  at  Middle- 
burg  and  ended  at  Upperville,  on  a hot  day  in 
June,  1863,  was  a marvel  of  splendid  action,  and  is 
of  especial  interest  to  me  as  a participant  in  its  suc- 
cession of  brilliant  charges. 

At  eight  o’clock  on  the  morning  of  the  twenty  first 
of  June,  General  Pleasanton,  at  the  head  of  the 
Cavalry  Corps,  moved  out  of  Middleburg  towards 
Ashby’s  Gap  in  the  Blue  Ridge.  We  had  not  pro- 
ceeded far  before  the  Rebel  outposts  were  encoun- 
tered, and  driving  them  before  us,  we  came  upon  a 
large  cavalry  force  under  the  leadership  of  Fitzhugh 
Lee.  A running  engagement  then  commenced  which 
was  kept  up  for  a distance  of  six  miles. 

The  country  between  Middleburg  and  Upperville  is 
a succession  of  ridges  and  hollows,  and  our  artillery 
was  rushed  forward  and  planted  on  one  eminence 
after  another  as  we  advanced,  from  which  positions 
we  shelled  the  opposing  guns  of  the  enemy. 


254 


BA  TILES  FUR  THE  UNION. 


Along  this  uneven  ground,  stone  fences  occurred 
■with  unpleasant  frequency,  the  Confederates  taking 
shelter  behind  them  and  firing  to  great  advantage 
upon  our  advancing  troops.  But  our  brave  boys  of 
the  saddle  galloped  forward,  charging  the  Rebels 
behind  their  stone  barricades  and  sending  them  fiy- 
ing  before  the  Union  sabres. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Rector’s  Cross  Roads  the  surface 
of  the  country  is  very  rough  and  the  roads  are 
narrow  and  rocky.  Near  this  point  the  enemy  had 
planted  a section  of  artillery  on  a hill  in  advance  of 
us,  and  Kilpatrick  sent  the  Fourth  New  York  to  take 
the  position  ; but  that  regiment  halting  in  a ravine  out 
of  range  of  the  enemy’s  fire,  Kilpatrick  rode  down  the 
line  calling  for  the  Harris  Light  to  come  forward. 
Our  regiment  was  ordered  to  charge  the  battery  on 
the  flank  and  clear  the  road  of  obstruction.  The 
Harris  Light  galloped  forward  in  column  of  fours 
down  the  ravine  and  up  the  hill  beyond,  in  the  very 
face  of  the  enemy’s  guns,  forming  in  platoon  under 
fire  and  charging  the  foe  in  splendid  style.  Utterly 
routed,  they  wheeled  with  their  batteries  and  fled.  At 
Upperville  our  advance  was  met  with  great  despera- 
tion, the  enemy  charging  us  handsomely,  but  with  no 
great  damage.  When  our  forces  had  been  properly 
arranged  and  the  right  time  had  come,  Kilpatrick 
was  ordered  to  charge  the  town.  With  drawn  sabres 
— weapons  in  which  the  General  always  had  great 
confidence,  and  generally  won  success  — and  with 
yells  which  made  the  mountains  and  plains  resound, 
we  rushed  upon  the  foe.  The  fray  was  terrible. 
Several  times  did  the  Rebels  break,  but  being  reen- 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


255 


forced,  or  falling  back  upon  some  better  position, 
again  endeavored  to  baffle  our  efforts.  But  they  were 
not  equal  to  the  task,  and  we  drove  them  through  the 
village  of  Paris,  and  finally  through  Ashby’s  Gap, 
upon  their  infantry  columns  in  the  Shenandoah  Val- 
ley. In  these  charges  and  chase  we  captured  two 
pieces  of  artillery,  four  caissons,  several  stand  of 
small  arms,  and  a large  number  of  prisoners. 

At  Rector's  Cross  Roads,  when  Kilpatrick  ordered 
the  Harris  Light  to  charge  the  enemy’s  battery  on 
a hill  in  advance  of  us,  as  we  galloped  down  the 
intervening  gully  where  the  Fourth  New  York  had 
halted,  sheltered  by  the  rise  of  ground,  and  while 
we  were  forming  in  column  of  platoons  under  the 
enemy’s  fire,  a fatal  bullet  pierced  my  horse  and  he 
fell  dead  under  me.  Fortunately  I was  not  dragged 
down  in  his  fall,  and  as  I struck  the  ground,  a rider- 
less horse  in  an  Indiana  company  near  by  came  up. 
One  of  the  sergeants  of  this  company  had  been  shot 
dead  at  the  same  time  that  my  animal  had  fallen,  and 
mounting  his  horse  I rode  forward  with  the  regiment 
as  they  charged  the  enemy’s  position. 

Our  scouts,  during  this  engagement,  had  managed 
to  gain  an  entrance  into  the  Valley,  wdiere  they  ascer- 
tained that  the  Rebel  army,  in  heavy  columns,  was 
advancing  towards  the  Upper  Potomac. 

This  fight  was  of  sufficient  importance  to  call  forth 
from  the  commanding  general  the  following  official 
document. 

Headquarters  Cavalry  Corps,  \ 
Camp  near  Upperville,  June  21,  1863.  } 

Brigadier -General  S.  Williams: 

General  : I moved  with  my  command  this  morning  to 
Middleburg,  and  attacked  the  cavalry  force  of  the  Rebels 


256 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


under  Stuart,  and  steadily  drove  him  all  day,  inflicting  a 
heavy  loss  at  every  step. 

I drove  him  through  Upperville  into  Ashby’s  Gap. 

We  took  two  pieces  of  artillery,  one  being  a Blakely  gun, 
and  three  caissons,  besides  blowing  up  one ; also,  upwards  of 
sixty  prisoners,  and  more  are  coming ; a lieutenant-colonel  and 
major,  and  five  other  officers,  besides  a wounded  colonel  and 
a large  number  of  wounded  Rebels  left  in  the  town  of  Upper- 
ville. 

They  left  their  dead  and  wounded  upon  the  field ; of  the 
former,  I saw  upward  of  twenty. 

We  also  took  a large  number  of  carbines,  pistols,  and  sabres. 
In  fact,  it  was  a most  disastrous  day  to  the  Rebel  cavalry. 

Our  loss  has  been  very  small  both  in  men  and  horses. 

I never  saw  the  troops  behave  better,  or  under  more  difficult 
circumstances. 

Very  heavy  charges  were  made,  and  the  sabre  used  freely 
but  always  with  great  advantage  to  us. 

A.  Pleasanton, 

Brigadier  - General. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


GETTYSBURG-. 

Meade  in  Command  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. — The  Camp  on 
Marsh  Run. — The  Advance  to  Gettysburg. — Charge  of  Buford’s 
Cavalry  on  the  Rebel  Van-guard. — The  Enemy  Driven  Back. — 
Fall  of  General  Reynolds. — Capture  of  General  Archer  and  Eight 
Hundred  Prisoners. — Victory  Followed  by  Defeat. — The  Eleventh 
Corps  Break  and  Fly. — Strengthening  the  Union  Position. — Occu- 
pancy of  Culp’s  Hill  and  Round  Top. — Sickle’s  Command  Shat- 
tered.— Activity  of  Kilpatrick’s  Cavalry. — The  Enemy  Falls  Back 
to  Benner’s  Hill. — The  Last  Effort. — Terrible  Slaughter  of  Troops. 
— The  Desperate  Final  Charge. — The  Tempest  of  Fire. — Death  of 
Farnsworth. — Capture  of  Prisoners. — Glorious  Victory. 

ON  Tuesday  evening,  June  thirtieth,  1863,  General 
Reynolds  commanding  the  First,  Third,  and 
Eleventh  Corps  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  was  en- 
camped on  Marsh  Run  near  the  village  of  Emmits- 
burg,  Maryland.  By  direction  of  General  Meade, 
General  Reynolds  with  his  First  and  Third  Corps 
moved  early  in  the  morning  to  Gettysburg,  and  soon 
after  sent  orders  to  General  Howard  to  follow  with 
the  Eleventh.  Howard  received  the  order  of  Reynolds 
at  eight  o’clock  and  immediately  directed  General  Bar- 
low’s division  to  follow  the  First  Corps  by  the  most 
direct  route,  while  the  divisions  of  General  Steinwehr 
and  Shurz  were  instructed  to  proceed  by  the  road  lead- 
ing through  Horner’s  Mills.  Having  thus  disposed  of 


BATTLES  TOR  TUT  UNION. 


-258 

his  command,  General  Howard  pushed  on  in  advance 
of  the  troops,  accompanied  by  his  staff. 

General  John  Buford,  commanding  the  Third  Cav- 
alry Division,  had  moved  directly  from  Meade’s  head- 
quarters at  Frederick  City  to  Gettysburg  on  the  pre- 
vious day,  and  went  into  camp  on  the  Chambcrsburg 
Pike,  about  two  miles  west  of  the  village.  At  half 
past  nine  o’clock  on  Wednesday  morning  the  van- 
guard of  the  Rebel  army  under  General  Ileth  of  A. 
P.  Hill's  Corps,  appeared  in  front  of  Buford’s  Cav- 
alry. The  dauntless  troopers  charged  vigorously  the 
advancing  columns  of  the  enemy  and  drove  them  back 
upon  their  reserves  where  we  were  checked  and  in  turn 
driven  back  before  overwhelming  numbers.  General 
Wadsworth  coming  up  from  Emmitsburg,  hearing  the 
familiar  sound  of  battle,  went  into  a double-quick  and 
hastening  through  Gettysburg,  struck  the  Confederate 
advance  just  in  time  to  seize  and  occupy  the  range  of 
hills  that  overlook  the  place  from  the  northwest,  in  the 
direction  of  Chambcrsburg. 

While  Wadsworth  was  placing  his  division  in  posi- 
tion, General  Reynolds  rode  forward,  unattended,  to 
reconnoitre,  when  he  discovered  a heavy  force  of  the 
enemy  in  a grove  not  far  distant.  Raising  his  field- 
glass  to  his  eyes,  he  sought  to  survey  the  force  and  its 
position,  when  a whistling  ball  from  a sharpshooter’s 
musket  struck  him  in  the  neck.  He  fell  on  his  face 
and  baptized  with  his  life-blood  the  soil  which  had 
given  him  birth.  His  untimely  fall,  especially  at  this 
crisis  and  almost  in  sight  of  his  childhood’s  home, 
was  generally  lamented.  His  lifeless  form  was  borne 
away  to  the  rear  just  as  the  Rebels  in  heavy  force  ad- 
vanced upon  not  more  than  one-third  their  number. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UXfOX. 


2»9 


General  Abner  Doubleday  had  to  assume  command 
of  our  forces  under  this  galling  fire,  having  arrived 
with  a portion  of  the  First  Corps,  the  remainder  of 
which  and  the  Eleventh  Corps,  not  being  able  to  join 
them  until  two  hours  of  fearful  destniction  had  gone 
on.  Our  feeble  advance  was  compelled  to  fall  quickly 
back  upon  Seminary  Hill,  just  west  of  the  village,  and 
were  pursued  very  closely,  so  that  one  portion  of  our 
line,  seeing  its  opportunity,  swung  around  rapidly,  en- 
veloping the  Rebel  advance  and  capturing  General 
Archer  the  leader,  and  about  eight  hundred  prisoners. 

General* Howard  heard  the  cannonading,  and  riding 
rapidly  up  the  Emmitsburg  road,  sent  messengers  in 
search  of  General  Reynolds,  for  instructions,  not 
knowing  that  he  had  been  killed.  While  waiting  the 
return  of  his  aids,  he  went  to  the  top  of  the  college 
to  take  a survey  of  the  surrounding  country.  His  aid, 
Major  Biddle,  soon  came  back  with  the  sad  intelligence 
that  General  Reynolds  had  fallen,  and  that  the  com- 
mand devolved  on  himself. 

General  Howard  now  assumed  command  of  all  the 
troops  engaged,  giving  the  command  of  his  own  corps 
to  General  Carl  Shurz.  Our  men,  now  emboldened 
by  the  arrival  of  fresh  supports,  and  having  secured  a 
fine,  commanding  position,  renewed  the  fight  with 
spirit  and  wonderful  success.  Victory  continued  to 
perch  upon  the  banners  of  the  Union  at  every  point 
along  the  lines,  until  one  o’clock  in  the  afternoon, 
when  our  right  wing  was  furiously  assailed  by  Gen- 
eral Ewell’s  Corps  which  had  been  marching  from 
York,  directed  by  the  thunder  of  battle. 

Thus  flanked  and  outnumbered  by  the  gathering 


260 


LA  I TEES  FOR  THE  UNI  OX. 


hosts,  the  Eleventh  Corps,  which  was  most  exposed  to 
the  enfilading  fire  of  the  newly  arrived  columns,  be- 
gan to  waver,  then  to  break,  and  soon  fled  in  perfect 
rout.  The  First  Corps  was  thus  compelled  to  follow, 
or  be  annihilated.  The  two  retreating  columns  met  and 
mingled  in  more  or  less  confusion  in  the  streets  of  the 
town,  where  they  greatly  obstructed  each  other,  though 
the  First  Corps  retained  its  organization  quite  unbro- 
ken. In  passing  through  the  town  the  Eleventh  Corps 
was  especially  exposed  to  the  fire  of  the  enemy,  who 
pressed  his  advantage  and  captured  thousands  of  pris- 
oners. Our  wounded,  who  up  to  this  time  had  been 
quartered  in  Gettysburg,  fell  into  the  enemy’s  hands, 
and  scarcely  one  half  of  our  brave  boys,  who  had  so 
recently  and  proudly  passed  through  the  streets  to  the 
battle  lines,  had  the  privilege  of  returning,  but  either 
lay  dead  or  dying  on  the  hard-fought  field,  or  were 
captives  with  a cruel  foe.  The  number  of  killed  and 
wounded  showed  how  desperately  they  had  fought,  and 
the  large  number  captured  was  evidence  of  the  over- 
whelming numbers  with  which  they  had  contended. 

General  Buford  with  his  troopers,  covered  our  re- 
treat, showing  as  bold  a front  as  possible  to  the  enemy, 
who,  it  was  supposed,  would  follow  fiercely,  as  they 
were  in  strong  force  and  several  hours  of  daylight  yet 
remained.  But  doubtless  fearing  that  a trap  might 
be  laid  for  them  if  they  advanced  too  far,  they  content- 
ed themselves  with  only  a portion  of  the  borough, 
their  main  force  occupying  the  hills  which  form  a 
grand  amphitheatre  on  the  north  and  west. 

Our  decimated  forces  repulsed  by  overwhelming 
odds  took  possession  of  Cemetery  Hill,  south  of  the 


BATTLES  FOR  Till'  UNIOX. 


2G1 


town,  and  being  reenforced  by  General  Sickles’  Corps, 
they  began  to  intrench  themselves  with  earthworks 
and  rifle  pits,  to  extend  their  lines  to  right  and  left, 
and  to  select  the  best  positions  for  our  batteries.  This 
work  was  continued  quite  late  into  the  evening,  the 
broad  moonlight  greatly  facilitating  the  operations. 

General  Meade,  who  had  selected  his  ground  for  the 
impending  battle  along  the  banks  of  Pipe  Creek,  and 
who  at  one  o’clock  p.  M.  was  at  Taneytown  when  the 
news  of  the  fight,  and  the  death  of  the  brave  Reynolds 
at  Gettysburg,  reached  him,  despatched  General  Han- 
cock to  the  scene  of  conflict  to  take  command,  and  to 
ascertain  whether  Gettysburg  afforded  better  ground 
than  that  which  had  been  selected.  Hancock  arrived 
at  Cemetery  Hill  just  as  our  broken  lines  were  hastily 
and  confusedly  retreating  from  the  village  ; our  ad- 
vance, however,  had  already  taken  this  commanding 
position  and  was  making  some  preparation  for  resist- 
ance. The  newly  arrived  general  began  at  once  to 
order  the  forces  which  had  been  engaged  and  others 
which  were  occasionally  arriving.  He  ordered  the 
occupancy  of  Culp’s  Hill  on  our  extreme  right,  and 
extended  the  lines  to  our  left  well  up  the  high  ground 
in  the  vicinity  of  Round  Top,  a rocky  eminence  about 
two  miles  from  Gettysburg,  and  nearly  equidistant 
from  the  Emmitsburg  and  Taneytown  roads.  The 
line  having  been  made  as  secure  as  possible,  Hancock 
wrote  to  Meade  that  the  position  was  excellent.  His 
despatch  had  scarcely  gone,  when  he  was  relieved  by 
General  Slocum,  a ranking  officer,  and  so,  leaving  the 
field,  Hancock  hastened  to  report  in  person  to  his 
chief  the  condition  of  things  at  Gettysburg.  On 


202 


BATTLES  l'Oli  THE  UNION. 


arriving,  Meade  informed  him  that  he  had  decided  to 
fight  at  Gettysburg,  and  had  sent  orders  to  the  various 
commands  to  that  effect ; then  together  they  rode  to 
Gettysburg,  arriving  about  eleven  o'clock  at  night. 

All  night  long  our  forces  were  concentrating  before 
this  historic  village,  where  they  were  all  found  on  the 
morning  of  the  second  of  July,  except  the  Sixth  Corps, 
General  Sedgwick’s,  which  did  not  arrive  until  two 
o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  after  marching  nearly  all 
the  previous  night. 

Second  Day. 

Until  three  o’clock  all  was  quiet  along  the  battle 
lines,  except  an  occasional  shot  from  a picket  or 
sharpshooter.  There  had  been  considerable  manoeu- 
vering  however.  On  our  left  General  Sickles,  in  his 
eagerness  for  a fight,  had  advanced  his  corps  across 
the  Emmitsburg  road,  and  on  a wood-crowned  ridge 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  main  portion  of  the 
Rebel  army.  General  Meade,  in  his  inspection  of  the 
lines,  remonstrated  against  the  perilous  position  which 
Sickles  had  taken  the  liberty  to  gain.  Sickles,  how- 
ever, intimated  that,  if  desired,  he  would  withdraw  to 
the  ridge  which  Meade  had  justly  indicated  as  the 
proper  place  where  our  forces  would  be  better  pro- 
tected, and  would  be  able  to  cover  Round  Top,  a point 
which  it  was  considered  essential  to  retain.  General 
Meade  thereupon  expressed  his  fear  to  Sickles  that  the 
enemy  would  not  permit  him  quietly  to  retire  from  the 
trap  in  which  he  had  placed  his  foot ; and  the  last 
words  had  scarcely  fallen  from  his  lips,  when  the 
Rebel  batteries  were  opened  witli  fearful  accuracy 


BATTLES  FUR  THE  UXIOX. 


~0o 

and  at  a short  range,  and  the  infantry  came  on  with 
their  fierce  charging  yell.  General  Longstreet  was  in 
command. 

With  such  long  and  strong  lines  of  infantry  in  his 
front,  which  lapped  over  his  flanks  on  either  side,  and 
a fearful  enfilading  fire  from  the  heavy  batteries  on 
Seminary  Hill,  Sickles  and  his  brave  men  were  torn, 
shattered,  overwhelmed,  and  with  terrible  loss  and  in 
great  confusion  fell  back  to  the  ridge  from  which  he 
ought  not  to  have  advanced.  In  the  struggle,  the 
Rebels  made  a desperate  attempt  to  reach  and  possess 
Round  Top,  which  they  came  near  doing,  before  Gen- 
eral Sykes,  who  had  been  ordered  to  advance  and  hold 
it,  had  gained  the  elevation.  But  their  failure  to  pos- 
sess this  coveted  prize  proved  a great  disaster ; for 
before  they  could  withdraw  their  charging  columns 
across  the  plain  between  Round  Top  and  the  ridge 
where  Sickles  stood  at  the  beginning  of  the  fray,  they 
were  attacked  by  General  Hancock  with  a heavy  force, 
and  driven  almost  like  chaff  before  the  wind.  Their 
loss  was  terrible.  At  the  close  of  this  encounter  our 
lines  stood  precisely  where  General  Meade  desired 
they  should  be  before  the  fight  commenced,  with 
Round  Top  fully  in  our  possession  and  now  strongly 
fortified  with  heavy  artillery  and  good  infantry  sup- 
port. 

On  our  right  General  Ewell  had  succeeded  in  push- 
ing back  some  portions  of  our  lines  under  Slocum, 
who  occupied  Culp’s  Hill,  and  some  of  our  fortified 
lines  and  rifle-pits  were  occupied  by  the  Rebels. 
Night  came  on  to  close  the  dreadful  day.  Thus  far 
the  battle  had  been  mostly  in  the  advantage  of  the 


264 


BATTLES,  FOR  THE  UNION. 


Rebels.  They  held  the  ground  where  Reynolds  had 
fallen,  also  Seminary  Ridge,  and  the  elevation  whence 
the  Eleventh  Corps  had  been  driven.  They  also 
occupied  the  ridge  on  which  Sickles  had  commenced 
to  fight.  Sickles  himself  was  hors  de  combat. , with  a 
shattered  leg  which  had  to  he  amputated,  and  not  far 
from  twenty  thousand  of  our  men  had  been  killed, 
wounded,  and  captured ! The  Rebels  had  also  lost 
heavily  in  killed  and  wounded : but  having  gained 
several  important  positions  were  deluded  with  the 
idea  that  they  had  gained  a victory. 

General  Lee,  in  his  official  report,  says : “ After 

a severe  struggle,  Longstreet  succeeded  in  getting 
possession  of  and  holding  the  desired  ground.  Ewell 
also  carried  some  of  the  strong  positions  which  lie  as- 
sailed ; and  the  result  was  such  as  to  lead  to  the  be- 
lief that  he  would  ultimately  he  able  to  dislodge  the 
enemy.  The  battle  ceased  at  dark.  These  partial 
successes  determined  me  to  continue  the  assault  next 
day.” 

During  these  days  of  deadly  strife  and  of  unprece- 
dented slaughter,  our  cavalry  was-  by  no  means  idle. 
On  the  morning  of  the  first,  Kilpatrick  advanced  his 
victorious  squadrons  to  the  vicinity  of  Abbottstown, 
where  they  struck  a force  of  Rebel  cavalry,  which 
they  scattered,  capturing  several  prisoners,  and  then 
rested.  To  the  ears  of  the  alert  cavalry  chieftain 
came  the  sound  of  battle  at  Gettysburg,  accompanied 
with  the  intelligence,  from  prisoners  mostly,  that 
Stuart’s  main  force  was  bent  on  doing  mischief  on 
the  right  of  our  infantry  lines,  which  were  not  far 
from  the  night’s  bivouac. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


265 


He  appeared  instinctively  to  know  where  he  was 
most  needed  ; so  in  the  absence  of  orders,  early  the 
next  morning  he  advanced  to  Hunterstown.  At  this 
point  were  the  extreme  wings  of  the  infantry  lines, 
and  as  Kilpatrick  expected,  he  encountered  the  Rebel 
cavalry,  commanded  by  his  old  antagonists,  Stuart, 
Lee,  and  Hampton.  The  early  part  of  the  day  was 
spent  mostly  in  reconnoitering  ; but  all  the  latter  part 
of  the  day  was  occupied  in  hard,  bold,  and  bloody 
work.  Charges  and  counter-charges  were  made  ; the 
cai'bine,  pistol,  and  saber  were  used  by  turns,  and  the 
artillery  thundered  long  after  the  infantry  around 
Gettysburg  had  sunk  to  rest,  well-nigh  exhausted  with 
the  bloody  carnage  of  the  weary  day.  But  Stuart, 
who  had  hoped  to  break  in  upon  our  flank  and  rear, 
and  to  pounce  upon  our  trains,  was  not  only  foiled  in 
his  endeavor  by  the  gallant  Kilpatrick,  but  also 
driven  back  upon  his  infantry  supports,  and  badly 
beaten. 

In  the  night,  Kilpatrick,  after  leaving  a sufficient 
force  to  prevent  Stuart  from  doing  any  special  dam- 
age on  our  right,  swung  around  with  the  remainder 
of  his  division  to  the  left  of  our  line,  near  Round 
Top,  and  was  there  prepared  for  any  work  which 
might  be  assigned  him. 

Third  Day. 

Friday,  July  third,  the  sun  rose  bright  and  warm 
upon  the  blackened  forms  of  the  dead,  which  were 
strewn  over  the  bloody  earth  ; upon  the  wounded  who 
had  not  been  cared  for,  and  upon  long  glistening  lines 
of  armed  men  ready  to  renew  the  conflict.  Each  an- 


266 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


tagonist,  rousing  every  slumbering  element  of  power, 
seemed  to  be  resolved  upon  victory  or  death. 

The  fight  commenced  early,  by  an  attack  of  Gen- 
eral Slocum’s  men,  who,  determined  to  re-gain  the 
rifle-pits  they  had  lost  the  evening  before,  descended 
like  an  avalanche  upon  the  foe.  The  attack  met  with 
a prompt  response  from  General  Ewell.  But  after 
several  hours  of  desperate  fighting,  victory  perched 
upon  the  Union  banners,  and  with  great  loss  and 
slaughter  the  Rebels  were  driven  out  of  the  breast- 
works, and  fell  back  upon  their  main  lines  near  Bern 
tier’s  Hill. 

This  successful  move  on  the  part  of  our  boys  in 
blue  was  followed  by  an  ominous  lull,  or  quiet,  which 
continued  about  three  hours.  Meanwhile  the  silence 
was  fitfully  broken  by  an  occasional  spit  of  fire,  while 
every  preparation  was  being  made  for  a last,  supreme 
effort,  which,  it  wras  expected,  would  decide  the 
mighty  contest.  The  scales  were  being  poised  for  the 
last  time,  and  upon  the  one  side  or  the  other  was 
soon  to  be  recorded  a glorious  victory  or  a disastrous 
defeat.  Hearts  either  trembled  or  waxed  strong  in 
the  awful  presence  of  this  responsibility. 

At  length  one  o’clock  arrived  ; a signal-gun  was 
fired,  and  then  at  least  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
guns  from  Hill  and  Longstreet  concentrated  and 
crossed  their  fires  upon  Cemetery  Hill,  the  centre  and 
key  of  our  position.  Just  behind  this  crest,  though 
much  exposed,  were  General  Meade’s  headquarters. 
For  nearly  two  hours  this  Hill  was  ploughed  and  torn 
by  solid  shot  and  bursting  shell,  while  about  one  hun- 
dred guns  on  our  side,  mainly  from  this  crest  and 


BATTLES  FOR  TI1E  UNION. 


267 


Round  Top,  made  sharp  response.  The  earth  and  the 
air  shook  for  miles  around  with  the  terrific  concussion, 
which  came  no  longer  in  volleys,  but  in  a continual 
roar.  So  long  and  fearful  a cannonade  was  never  be- 
fore witnessed  on  this  continent.  As  the  range  was 
short  and  the  aim  accurate,  the  destruction  was  ter- 
rible. But  the  advantage  was  decidedly  in  favor  of  the 
Rebels,  whose  guns  were  superior  in  number  to  ours, 
and  of  heavier  caliber,  and  had  been  concentrated  for 
the  attack.  A spectator  of  the  Union  army  thus  de- 
scribes the  scene  : 

“ The  storm  broke  upon  us  so  suddenly,  that  soldiers 
and  officers — who  leaped,  as  it  began,  from  their 
tents,  or  from  lazy  siestas  on  the  grass — were  stricken 
in  their  rising  with  mortal  wounds,  and  died,  some 
with  cigars  between  their  teeth,  some  with  pieces  of 
food  in  their  fingers,  and  one  at  least — a pale  young 
German,  from  Pennsylvania — with  a miniature  of  his 
sister  in  his  hands.  Horses  fell,  shrieking  such  awful 
cries  as  Cooper  told  of,  and  writhing  themselves  about 
in  hopeless  agony.  The  boards  of  fences  scattered 
by  explosion,  flew  in  splinters  through  the  air.  The 
earth,  torn  up  in  clouds,  blinded  the  eyes  of  hurrying 
men ; and  through  the  branches  of  trees  and  among 
the  grave-stones  of  the  cemetery  a shower  of  destruc- 
tion crashed  ceaselessly.  As,  with  hundreds  of  oth- 
ers, I groped  through  this  tempest  of  death  for  the 
shelter  of  the  bluff,  an  old  man,  a private  in  a com- 
pany belonging  to  the  Twenty-fourth  Michigan,  was 
struck,  scarcely  ten  feet  away,  by  a cannon-ball, 
which  tore  through  him,  extorting  such  a low,  intense 
cry  of  mortal  pain  as  I pray  God  I may  never  again 


268 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UN  I OX. 


hear.  The  hill,  -which  seemed  alone  devoted  to  this 
rain  of  death,  was  clear  in  nearly  all  its  unsheltered 
places,  within  live  minutes  after  the  fire  began.” 

A correspondent  from  the  Confederate  army  who 
witnessed  the  battle,  says : “ I have  never  yet  heard 

such  tremendous  artillery-firing.  The  enemy  must 
have  had  over  one  hundred  guns,  which,  in  addition 
to  our  one  hundred  and  fifteen,  made  the  air  hideous 
with  most  discordant  noise.  The  very  earth  shook 
beneath  our  feet,  and  the  hills  and  rocks  seemed  to 
reel  like  a drunken  man.  For  one  hour  and  a half 
this  most  terrific  fire  was  continued,  during  which 
time  the  shrieking  of  shell,  the  crash  of  falling  tim- 
bers, the  fragments  of  rocks  flying  through  the  air, 
shattered  from  the  cliffs  by  solid  shot,  the  heavy  mut- 
terings  from  the  valley  between  the  opposing  armies, 
the  splash  of  bursting  shrapncll,  and  the  fierce  neigh- 
ing of  wounded  artillery-horses,  made  a picture  terri- 
bly grand  and  sublime,  but  which  my  pen  utterly  fails 
to  describe.” 

Gradually  the  fire  on  our  side  began  to  slacken, 
and  General  Meade,  learning  that  our  guns  were  be. 
coming  hot,  gave  orders  to  cease  firing  and  to  let  the 
guns  cool,  though  the  Rebel  balls  Avere  making  fear- 
ful havoc  among  our  gunners,  Avhile  our  infantry 
sought  poor  shelter  behind  every  projection,  anxiously 
awaiting  the  expected  charge.  At  length  the  enemy, 
supposing  that  our  guns  Avere  silenced,  deemed  that 
the  moment  for  an  irresistible  attack  had  come.  Ac- 
cordingly, as  a lion  emerges  from  his  lair,  he  sallied 
forth,  when  strong  lines  of  infantry,  nearly  three 
miles  in  length,  Avith  double  lines  of  skirmishers  in 


BATTLES,  FOR  THE  UNI  OX. 


269 


front,  and  heavy  reserves  in  rear,  advanced  with  des- 
peration to  the  final  effort.  They  moved  with  steady, 
measured  tread  over  the  plain  below,  and  began  the 
ascent  of  the  hills  occupied  by  our  forces,  concentrat- 
ing somewhat  upon  General  Hancock,  though  stretch- 
ing across  our  entire  front. 

Says  a correspondent  of  the  Richmond  Enquirer : 
“ Just  as  Pickett  was  getting  well  under  the  enemy’s 
fire,  our  batteries  ceased  firing.  This  was  a fearful 
moment  for  Pickett  and  his  brave  command.  Why 
do  not  our  guns  re-open  their  fire  ? is  the  inquiry  that 
rises  upon  every  lip.  Still,  our  batteries  are  silent  as 
death  !”  And  this  undoubtedly  decided  the  issue — 
was  God's  handwriting  on  the  wall.  The  Rebel  guns 
had  been  thundering  so  long  and  ceaselessly  that  they 
were  now  unfit  for  use,  and  ceased  firing  from  very 
necessity. 

“ Agate,”  the  correspondent  of  The  Cincinnati  Ga- 
zette, gives  the  following  graphic  description  of  the 
struggle : 

“ The  great,  desperate,  final  charge  came  at  four. 
The  Rebels  seemed  to  have  gathered  up  all  their 
strength  and  desperation  for  one  fierce,  convulsive  ef- 
fort, that  should  sweep  over  and  wash  out  our  obsti- 
nate resistance.  They  swept  up  as  before  ; the  flower 
of  their  army  to  the  front,  victory  staked  upon  the  is- 
sue. In  some  places  they  literally  lifted  up  and  pushed 
back  our  lines  ; but,  that  terrible  position  of  ours  ! — 
wherever  they  entered  it,  enfilading  fires  from  half  a 
score  of  crests  swept  away  their  columns  like  merest 
chaff.  Broken  and  hurled  back,  they  easily  fell  into 
our  hands  ; and,  on  the  center  and  left,  the  last  half 
hour  brought  more  prisoners  than  all  the  rest. 


270 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


“ So  it  was  along  the  whole  line  ; but  it  was  on  the 
Second  Corps  that  the  flower  of  the  Rebel  army  was 
concentrated  ; it  was  there  that  the  heaviest  shock 
beat  upon,  and  shook,  and  even  sometimes  crumbled, 
our  lines. 

“ We  had  some  shallow  rifle-pits,  with  barricades 
of  rails  from  the  fences.  The  Rebel  line,  stretching 
away  miles  to  the  left,  in  magnificent  array,  but 
strongest  here — Pickett’s  splendid  division  of  Long- 
street’s  corps  in  front,  the  best  of  A.  P.  Hill’s  veter- 
ans in  support — came  steadily,  and  as  it  seemed  re- 
sistlessly,  sweeping  up.  Our  skirmishers  retired 
slowly  from  the  Emmitsburg  road,  holding  their 
ground  tenaciously  to  the  last.  The  rebels  reserved 
their  fire  till  they  reached  this  same  Emmitsburg 
road,  then  opened  with  a terrific  crash.  From  a hun- 
dred iron  throats,  meantime,  their  artillery  had  been 
thundering  on  our  barricades. 

“ Hancock  was  wounded  ; Gibbon  succeeded  to  the 
command — an  approved  soldier,  and  ready  for  the 
crisis.  As  the  tempest  of  fire  approached  its  height, 
he  walked  along  the  line,  and  renewed  his  orders  to 
the  men  to  reserve  their  fire.  The  Rebels — three 
lines  deep — came  steadily  up.  They  were  in  point- 
blank  range. 

“ At  last  the  order  came  ! From  thrice  six  thous- 
and guns  there  came  a sheet  of  smoky  flame,  a crash, 
a rush  of  leaden  death.  The  line  literally  melted 
away  ; but  there  came  the  second,  resistless  still.  It 
had  been  our  supreme  effort ; on  the  moment  we  were 
not  equal  to  another. 

“ Up  to  the  rifle-pits,  across  them,  over  the  barri- 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UXIOX. 


271 


cades — the  momentum  of  their  charge,  the  mere  ma- 
chine-strength cf  their  combined  action,  swept  them 
on.  Our  thin  line  could  light,  hut  it  had  not  weight 
enough  to  oppose  to  this  momentum.  It  was  pushed 
behind  the  guns.  Right  on  came  the  Rebels.  They 
were  upon  our  guns — were  bayoneting  the  gunners — 
were  waving  their  flags  over  our  pieces. 

“ But  they  had  penetrated  to  the  fatal  point.  A 
storm  of  grape  and  canister  tore  its  way  from  man  to 
man,  and  marked  its  track  with  dead  bodies  straight 
down  their  line!  They  had  exposed  themselves  to 
the  enfilading  fire  of  the  guns  on  the  western  slope  of 
Cemetery  Hill ; that  exposure  sealed  their  fate. 

“ The  line  reeled  back — disjointed  already — in  an 
instant  in  fragments.  Our  men  were  just  behind  the 
guns.  They  leaped  forward  upon  the  disordered 
mass  ; but  there  was  little  need  of  fighting  now.  A 
regiment  threw  down  its  arms,  and,  with  colors  at 
its  head,  rushed  over  and  surrendered.  All  along 
the  field  smaller  detachments  did  the  same.  Webb’s 
brigade  brought  in  eight  hundred  ; taken  in  as  little 
time  as  it  requires  to  write  the  simple  sentence  that 
tells  it.  Gibbon’s  old  division  took  fifteen  stand  of 
colors. 

“ Over  the  fields  the  escaped  fragments  of  the 
charging  line  fell  back— the  battle  there  was  over. 
A single  brigade,  of  which  the  Seventh  Michigan  is 
part,  came  out  with  fifty-four  less  officers,  and  seven 
hundred  and  ninety-three  less  men,  than  it  took 
in  ! So  the  whole  corps  fought ; so,  too,  they  fought 
farther  down  the  line. 

“ It  was  fruitless  sacrifice.  They  gathered  up  their 


BATTLES  FUR  THE  UXION. 


broken  fragments,  formed  their  lines,  and  slowly 
marched  away.  It  was  not  a rout ; it  was  a bitter, 
crushing  defeat.  For  once  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
had  won  a clean,  honest,  acknowledged  A'ictory.” 

General  Pickett’s  division  was  nearly  annihilated. 
One  of  his  officers  recounted  that,  as  they  were 
charging  over  the  grassy  plain,  lie  threw  himself 
down  before  a murderous  discharge  of  grape  and 
canister,  which  mowed  the  grass  and  men  all  around 
him,  as  though  a scythe  had  been  swung  just  above 
his  prostrate  form. 

During  the  terrific  cannonade  and  subsequent 
charges,  our  ammunition  and  other  trains  had  been 
parked  in  rear  of  Pound  Top,  which  gave  them 
splendid  shelter.  Partly  to  possess  this  train,  but 
mainly  to  secure  this  commanding  position,  General 
Longstreet  sent  two  strong  divisions  of  infantry,  with 
heavy  artillery,  to  turn  our  flank,  and  to  drive  us 
from  this  ground.  Kilpatrick,  with  his  division, 
which  had  been  strengthened  by  Merritt’s  Regular 
brigade,  was  watching  this  point  and  waiting  for 
an  opportunity  to  strike  the  foe.  It  came  at  last. 
Emerging  from  the  Avoods  in  front  of  him  came  a 
strong  battle-line,  folloAved  by  others. 

DEATH  OF  GENERAL  FARNSAVORTH. 

To  the  young  Farnsworth  was  committed  the  task 
of  meeting  infantry  with  cavalry  in  an  open  field. 
Flacing  the  Fifth  New  York  in  support  of  Elder’s 
battery,  which  avus  exposed  to  a galling  fire,  but 
made  reply  with  characteristic  rapidity,  precision, 
and  slaughter,  Farnsworth  quickly  ordered  the  First 


GETTYSBURG. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


275 


Virginia,  the  First  Vermont,  and  Eighteenth  Penn- 
sylvania in  line  of  battle,  and  galloped  away  and 
charged  upon  the  flank  of  the  advancing  columns. 
The  attack  was  sharp,  brief,  and  successful,  though 
attended  with  great  slaughter.  But  the  Rebels  were 
driven  upon  their  main  lines  and  the  flank  movement 
was  prevented.  Thus  the  cavalry  added  another 
dearly  earned  laurel  to  its  chaplet  of  honor — dearly 
earned , because  many  of  their  bravest  champions  fell 
upon  that  bloody  field. 

Kilpatrick,  in  his  official  report  of  this  sanguinary 
contest,  says  : “ In  this  charge  fell  the  brave  Farns- 

worth. Short  and  brilliant  was  his  career.  On  the 
twenty-ninth  of  June  a general ; on  the  first  of  July 
he  baptized  his  star  in  blood  ; and  on  the  third,  for 
the  honor  of  his  young  brigade  and  the  glory  of  his 
Corps,  he  yielded  up  his  noble  life.” 

Thus  ended  the  battle  of  Gettysburg — the  bloody 
turning-point  of  the  Rebellion — the  bloody  baptism 
of  the  redeemed  Republic.  Nearly  twenty  thousand 
men  from  the  Union  ranks  had  been  killed  and 
wmunded,  and  a larger  number  of  the  Rebels,  making 
the  enormous  aggregate  of  at  least  forty  thousand, 
whose  blood  was  shed  to  fertilize  the  Tree  of  Liberty. 

In  the  evening  twilight  of  that  eventful  day,  Gen- 
eral Meade  penned  the  following  interesting  despatch 
to  the  Government : 

Headquarters  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
Near  Gettysburg,  July  3,  8.30  p.  M. 

To  Major  - General  Ualleck , General-in-  Chief : 

The  enemy  opened  at  one  o’clock,  p.  m.,  from  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  guns.  They  concentrated  upon  my  left  cen- 


276 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  L'FWF. 


ter,  continuing  without  intermission  for  about  three  hours,  at 
the  expiration  of  which  time  he  assaulted  my  left  center  twice, 
being,  upon  both  occasions,  handsomely  repulsed  with  severe 
loss  to  them,  leaving  in  our  hands  nearly  three  thousand  pris- 
oners. Among  the  prisoners  are  Major-General  Armistead,  and 
many  colonels  and  officers  of  lesser  note.  The  enemy  left 
many  dead  upon  the  field,  and  a large  number  of  wounded  in 
our  hands.  The  loss  upon  our  side  has  been  considerable 
Major-General  Hancock  and  Brigadier-General  Gibbon  wer. 
wounded. 

After  the  repelling  of  the  assault,  indications  leading  to 
the  belief  that  the  enemy  might  be  withdrawing,  an  armed 
reconnoissance  was  pushed  forward  from  the  left,  and  the 
enemy  found  to  be  in  force.  At  the  present  hour  all  is  quiet. 

The  New  York  cavalry  have  been  engaged  all  day  on  both 
flanks  of  the  enemy,  harassing  and  vigorously  attacking  him 
with  great  success,  notwithstanding  they  encountered  superior 
numbers,  both  of  cavalry  and  artillery.  The  army  is  in  fine 
spirits. 

Geokge  G.  Meade, 

Mg jor  - General  Commanding. 

On  the  morning  of  the  Fourth  of  July,  General 
Meade  issued  an  address  to  the  army  : 

Headquarters  Army  oe  the  Potomac, 
Near  Gettysburg,  July  4. 

The  commanding  general,  in  behalf  of  the  country,  thanks 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  for  the  glorious  result  of  the  recent 
operations.  Our  enemy,  superior  in  numbers  and  flushed  with 
the  pride  of  a successful  invasion,  attempted  to  overcome  or 
destroy  this  army.  Utterly  baffled  and  defeated,  he  has  now 
withdrawn  from  the  contest. 

The  privations  and  fatigues  the  army  has  endured,  and  the 
heroic  courage  and  gallantry  it  has  displayed,  will  be  matters 
of  history  to  be  ever  remembered. 

Our  task  is  not  yet  accomplished,  and  the  commanding 
general  looks  to  the  army  for  greater  efforts  to  drive  from  our 
soil  every  vestige  of  the  presence  of  the  invader. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


277 


It.  is  right  and  proper  that  we  should,  on  suitable  occasions, 
return  our  grateful  thanks  to  the  Almighty  Disposer  of  events, 
that,  in  the  goodness  of  His  providence,  He  has  thought  fit  to 
give  victory  to  the  cause  of  the  just. 

By  command  of  Major-General  Meade. 

S.  Williams,  A.  A. -General. 

It  is  fitting  that  we  should  close  this  chapter 
with  President  Lincoln’s  brief  yet  comprehensive 
announcement  to  the  country  : 

Washington,  D.  C.,  July  4,  1863,  10  a.m. 

The  President  of  the  United  States  announces  to  the  coun- 
try that  the  news  from  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  up  to  ten 
o’clock  f.  m.,  of  the  third,  is  such  as  to  cover  the  army  with 
the  highest  honor — to  promise  great  success  to  the  cause  of 
the  Union — and  to  claim  the  condolence  of  all  for  the  many 
gallant  fallen ; and  that  for  this  he  especially  desires  that  on 
this  day,  “ He  whose  will,  not  ours,  should  ever  be  done,”  be 
everywhere  remembered  and  reverenced  with  the  profoundest 
gratitude.  Abraham  Lincoln. 


12 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 
■\^iok:sbtji=lc3-. 

The  Impregnable  Stronghold. — The  Batteries  of  the  Bluff. — The 
Siege  Begun. — A Reign  of  Terror. — Assault  of  the  Nineteenth.  — 
Distributing  Rations. — Assault  of  the  Twenty-second. — Desperate 
Work. — Sergeant  Griffith  and  the  Brave  Eleven. — Union  Colors 
on  Enemy’s  Bastion. — McPherson’s  Losses. — Failure  to  Carry  the 
Works. — Six  Weeks’  Siege. — The  Enemy  Starved  Out. — The  White 
Flag. — Surrender. — Grant’s  Triumphant  Entrance  into  Vicksburg. 
— “Rally  Round  the  Flag.” — Close  of  the  Campaign. — Lincoln’s 
Letter. 

AT  a distance  of  three  hundred  and  ninety-five 
miles  above  the  month  of  the  Mississippi  River, 
on  a high  bluff,  facing  westward,  and  rising  nearly  a 
hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  water,  lies  the 
city  of  Vicksburg — a stronghold  which  for  the  first 
two  years  of  the  war  defied  all  assault.  Its  formid- 
able defences  united  to  its  natural  strength  of  posi- 
tion, rendered  its  reduction  a work  of  difficulty  and 
danger.  But  on  our  National  Anniversary  of  1863, 
this  mighty  citadel,  so  long  secure  on  its  embattled 
bluff,  surrendered  to  superior  strategy  and  skill, 
and  the  celebration  of  that  “ Glorious  Fourth  ” by 
the  soldiers  of  Vicksburg  contained  an  element  of 
patriotic  fervor  which  only  a fresh  victory  in  the 
cause  of  freedom  could  give. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


279 


The  rise  of  the  river  bank  at  that  point  is  gradual 
for  about  two  miles  back,  and  on  this  inclined  slope 
lies  the  town — cradled  in  a hollow  of  the  bluff.  On 
the  bluff  below  the  city,  a fort  mounting  eight  guns 
guarded  the  approach  from  beneath,  while  on  the 
height  above,  a formidable,  three-banked  battery 
bristled  with  tiers  of  guns,  rising  one  above  the 
other,  from  a point  half  way  down  the  slope  to  the 
summit.  Each  tier  contained  four  heavy  guns,  and 
ditches  and  rifle-pits  helped  to  make  up  the  defences. 

The  combined  forces  of  Pemberton  and  Price,  esti- 
mated at  fifty  thousand  men,  were  in  possession  of 
the  city.  Their  guns  were  estimated  at  one  hundred 
and  sixty. 

For  six  weeks  previous  to  July  fourth,  1863, 
General  Grant  had  been  occupied  with  the  siege  of 
Vicksburg,  which  he  pressed  energetically. 

Every  day  further  progress  was  made  in  digging 
and  mining,  and  at  length  he  reached  a point  where 
his  batteries  could  send  their  screaming  shells  directly 
to  the  heart  of  the  city.  A reign  of  terror  then  took 
possession  of  the  town,  and  its  inhabitants  dug  for 
themselves  caves  in  the  earth,  seeking  protection 
against  the  missiles  of  destruction  which  daily  and 
nightly  dropped  in  their  midst.  Meantime,  rumors 
were  current  that  Johnston,  with  heavy  reenforce- 
ments, was  to  attack  our  forces  in  the  rear  and  if 
possible  raise  the  seige.  This,  in  connection  with 
other  reasons,  determined  Grant  to  try  an  assault  at 
once.  Accordingly,  at  two  o’clock  in  the  afternoon 
of  May  nineteenth,  a general  attack  was  ordered  on 
the  land-ward  fortifications  of  Vicksburg. 


280 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


General  Grant,  in  lus  report  of  that  attempt,  gives 
his  reasons  for  the  movement.  He  says  : — “ I be- 
lieved an  assault  from  the  position  gained  by  tins 
time  could  be  made  successfully.  It  was  known  that 
Johnston  was  at  Canton  with  the  force  taken  by  him 
from  Jackson,  reenforced  by  other  troops  from  the 
east,  and  that  more  were  daily  reaching  him.  With 
the  force  I had,  a short  time  must  have  enabled  him 
to  attack  me  in  the  rear,  and  possibly  to  succeed  in 
raising  the  siege.  Possession  of  Yicksburg  at  that 
time  would  have  enabled  me  to  have  turned  upon 
Johnston  and  driven  him  from  the  State,  and  possess 
myself  of  all  the  railroads  and  practical  military 
highways,  thus  effectually  securing  to  ourselves  all 
territory  west  of  the  Tombigbee — and  this  before  the 
season  was  too  far  advanced  for  campaigning  in  this 
latitude.  It  would  have  saved  Government  sending 
large  reenforcements  much  needed  elsewhere ; and 
finally,  the  troops  themselves  were  impatient  to  pos- 
sess Vicksburg,  and  would  not  have  worked  in  the 
trenches  with  the  same  zeal , believing  it  unnecessary , 
that  they  did  after  their  failure  to  carry  the  enemy's 
works." 

But  the  attack  of  the  nineteenth  only  resulted  in  a 
slight  advance  of  our  besieging  army  towards  the 
Confederate  fortifications.  Blair’s  division  of  Sher- 
man’s Corps  succeeded  in  placing  their  colors  on  the 
enemy’s  ramparts, — the  Thirteenth  Regulars  of 
Smith’s  brigade  paying  the  terrible  price  of  seventy- 
seven  men  out  of  two  hundred  and  fifty,  for  the  bloody 
attempt.  The  outer  line  of  Confederate  defences  were 
also  carried  by  the  Eiglity-tliird  Indiana,  Colonel 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UX ION. 


281 


Spooner,  and  the  One-lmndred  and  Twenty-seventh 
Illinois,  Colonel  Eldridge.  Though  they  were  unable 
to  enter  the  works  they  yet  succeeded  in  holding  their 
ground  till  night.  The  remaining  regiments  were 
only  successful  in  gaining  a closer  position  to  the 
almost  impregnable  fortifications.  General  Sherman 
seeing  his  troops  slaughtered  to  no  purpose,  ordered 
them  to  retire  a short  distance  and  take  shelter  be- 
hind the  broken  ground. 

The  two  days  succeeding  this  abortive  attempt  were 
occupied  in  artillery  firing  and  in  distributing  an  ad- 
vance supply  of  rations  ; and  on  May  twenty-second, 
at  ten  o’clock  in  the  morning,  a simultaneous  assault 
by  the  entire  besieging  force,  was  made  at  all  points. 
Five  batteries  poured  their  deadly  fire  on  the  Rebel 
bastion  commanding  our  approach.  The  sharpshoot- 
ers were  in  the  advance,  and  a storming  party  carry- 
ing poles  and  boards  to  bridge  the  ditch,  followed 
them. 

Frank  Blair’s  division  led  Sherman’s  attack — the 
brigade  of  General  Hugh  S.  Ewing,  Thirtieth  Ohio, 
having  the  advance,  followed  by  the  regiments  of  Giles 
Smith  and  T.  Kilby  Smith. 

The  storming  party  of  this  corps  pressed  forward 
to  the  angle  of  the  bastion  in  their  front  without 
attack  and  “ passed  towards  the  sally-port,  when  there 
shot  up  behind  the  parapet,  a double  rank  of  the  ene- 
my, who  poured  on  the  head  of  the  column  a fire  that 
swept  it  down  in  an  instant.  No  troops  could  or 
should  persist  in  braving  such  utter,  useless  destruc- 
tion. The  rear  of  the  column  attempted  to  rush  on ; 
but  it  was  madness ; and  soon,  all  had  sought  cover 


BATTLES  FOR  TIIE  UNION. 


from  that  deadly  fire.”  But  notwithstanding  this 
murderous  work,  the  men  of  Ewing’s  command 
crossed  the  ditch  on  the.  left  of  the  bastion,  and  clam- 
bering up  its  outer  wall,  planted  their  flag  near  the 
top. 

Holes  dug  in  the  hill-side  sheltered  them  from  fire 
in  their  flank.  The  brigade  of  Giles  Smith,  further 
on  the  left,  under  cover  of  a ravine,  re-formed  in  line 
of  battle,  ready  to  again  make  an  assault,  while  Kilby 
Smith  deployed  his  men  on  an  eminence  near  by  and 
kept  up  a fire  on  the  parapet. 

An  attempt  by  the  brigades  of  Giles  Smith  and 
Ransome,  to  take  the  parapet  by  assault  resulted  only 
in  defeat  and  loss.  Half  a mile  away  on  the  right, 
the  division  of  Steele  was  fighting  splendidly,  but 
without  result.  On  our  left,  the  efforts  of  McClcr- 
nand  were,  for  a time,  at  least,  more  successful. 
Within  fifteen  minutes  after  his  assault,  the  ditch  in 
front  of  the  fort  they  attacked,  was  crossed  and  the 
slope  and  bastion  carried.  Sergeant  Griffith  of  the 
Twenty-second  Iowa,  with  eleven  privates  succeeded 
in  effecting  an  entrance.  But  their  desperate  bravery 
was  at  the  cost  of  their  lives — every  one  falling  within 
the  fort  except  the  sergeant,  who  brought  thirteen 
prisoners.  “ The  colors  of  the  Forty-eighth  Ohio  and 
Seventy-seventh  Illinois  were  planted  on  the  bastion ; 
and  within  the  next  quarter  of  an  hour,  the  brigades  of 
Benton  and  Burbridge,  fired  by  this  example,  had  car- 
ried the  ditch  and  slope  of  another  strong  earthwork, 
planting  their  colors  on  the  slope ; while  Captain 
White  of  the  Chicago  Mercantile  Battery,  carried  for- 
ward one  of  his  guns  by  hand  to  the  ditch,  double- 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


283 


shotted  it  and  fired  it  into  an  embrasure,  disabling  a 
Rebel  gun  ready  to  be  fired,  and  doubtless  doing  exe- 
cution among  its  gunners.  McClernand  supposed  liis 
assault  successful,  and  reported  to  Grant  that  he  had 
carried  two  of  the  Rebel  forts ; and  again,  “ We 
have  gained  the  enemy’s  intrencliments  at  several 
points,  but  are  brought  to  a stand at  the  same  time 
asking  for  reenforcements.  Grant,  when  he  received 
the  first  despatch,  immediately  ordered  the  assault 
on  Sherman’s  front  (where  he  then  was)  to  be  re- 
newed, while  he  started  back  to  his  original  position 
with  McPherson  in  the  center,  which  he  had  not 
reached  when  he  received  from  McClernand  the  fur- 
ther message  above  cited ; whereupon,  though  dis- 
trusting its  accuracy,  he  ordered  Quinby’s  division  of 
McPherson’s  corps  to  report  to  McClernand.” 

Mower’s  brigade  having  been  sent  up  to  carry  the 
fort  where  Ewing’s  force  had  met  with  repulse,  suc- 
ceeded in  planting  the  colors  of  the  Eleventh  Missouri 
regiment  beside  those  of  Blair’s  command,  and  until 
dark  the  National  colors  floated  on  the  breeze  under 
the  guns  of  the  beleaguered  city.  The  command  of 
Steele  failed  to  carry  the  bastioned  fort  in  their  front, 
but  gained  possession  of  the  hill-side  below,  remaining 
there  until  night,  when  they  were  withdrawn  with  the 
rest.  The  heavy  losses  in  McPherson’s  command  in 
the  center,  told  the  story  of  his  daring  bravery ; but 
every  effort  was  fruitless,  save  in  carnage.  The 
divisions  of  Osterhaus  and  Hovey  had  been  driven 
behind  the  shelter  of  a ridge  by  the  enfilading  fire  of 
the  enemy. 

McArthur’s  division,  ordered  to  reinforce  McCler- 


284 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


nand’s,  did  not  reach  Vicksburg  until  next  morning, 
and  Quinby’s  two  brigades  did  not  come  up  until 
nearly  dark.  Colonel  Boomer,  commanding  one  of 
the  brigades  was  killed  while  leading  his  men  into 
action. 

At  eight  o’clock  in  the  evening  our  forces  were  re- 
called from  their  advanced  positions  after  having- 
suffered  a loss  of  three  thousand  men. 

General  Grant  in  his  report  of  the  campaign  speaks 
in  the  following  language  of  the  attack  of  the  twenty- 
second  : — “ The  assault  of  this  day  proved  the  quality 
of  the  soldiers  of  this  army.  Without  entire  success 
and  with  a heavy  loss,  there  was  no  murmuring  or 
complaining,  no  falling  back,  nor  other  evidence  of 
demoralization.  After  the  failure  of  the  twenty- 
second,  I determined  upon  a regular  siege.  The 
troops  now  being  fully  awake  to  the  necessity  of  this, 
worked  diligently  and  cheerfully.  The  work  pro- 
gressed rapidly  and  satisfactorily  until  the  third  of 
July,  when  all  was  about  ready  for  a final  assault.” 

To  the  citizens  of  the  beleaguered  city  the  scene  as 
described  by  one  of  its  inmates,  was  ‘ awfully  sub- 
lime and  terrific.’  There  had  been  no  lull  in  the 
shelling  all  night;  and  as  daylight  approached,  it  grew 
more  rapid  and  furious.  Early  in  the  morning  too,  the 
battle  began  to  rage  in  the  rear.  A terrible  onslaught 
was  made  on  the  center  first,  and  then  extended  far- 
ther to  the  left,  where  a terrific  struggle  took  place, 
resulting  in  the  repulse  of  the  attacking  party.  Four 
gunboats  also  came  up  to  engage  the  batteries.  * * 

Three  points  were  attacked  at  once  ; to  wit,  the  rifle- 
pits  by  the  enemy  in  the  rear  ; the  city  by  the  mortars 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


285 


opposite  ; and  the  batteries  by  the  gun-boats.  Such 
cannonading  and  shelling,  has  perhaps  scarcely  ever 
been  equaled  ; and  the  city  was  entirely  untenable 
though  women  and  children  were  on  the  streets.  It 
was  not  safe  from  behind  or  before,  and  every  part  of 
the  city  was  alike  within  range  of  the  Federal  guns. 
The  gun-boats  withdrew  after  a short  engagement ; 
but  the  mortars  kept  up  the  shelling  and  the  armies 
continued  lighting  all  day.  * * * * The  in- 

cessant booming  of  camion  and  the  banging  of  small 
arms,  intermingled  with  the  howling  of  shells,  and  the 
whistling  of  Minie-balls,  made  the  day  truly  most  hid- 
eous.” 

Vicksburg  was  now  surrounded  and  its  downfall  was 
only  a question  of  time.  Day  by  day  the  siege  was 
pushed  vigorously  forward — the  digging  and  mining 
going  steadily  on. 

Porter’s  gunboats,  with  thirteen-inch  mortars  and 
one-hundred-pound  Parrot  guns,  safely  anchored  un- 
der the  high  bank  below  Vicksburg,  sentineled  the  river 
above  and  below.  A three-gun  battery  on  the  penin- 
sula opposite,  played  havoc  with  the  Confederate  gar- 
rison, burning  up  their  shot  and  shell  foundery.  While 
the  enemy’s  forts  were  being  mined,  counter  mines 
were  dug  by  them  and  the  sound  of  their  picks  could 
be  heard  through  the  thin  wall  of  earth  which  separa- 
ted the  hostile  armies.  For  six  weeks  our  batteries 
never  ceased  dropping  their  shot  and  shell  on  the 
doomed  city.  Food  became  scarce  and  the  “inhabi- 
tants grew  wan  and  thin  in  their  narrow  dens.”  At 
last  the  enemy’s  ammunition  gave  out,  and  Pemberton, 
despairing  of  Johnston’s  aid  in  raising  the  siege  and 

12* 


286  BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 

believing  that  Grant  was  ready  for  another  assault  on 
bis  works,  hung  out  a white  flag  in  front  of  General 
A.  J.  Smith’s  division.  This  was  on  the  third  of  July. 
On  sending  forward  to  learn  the  meaning  of  the  white 
flag,  they  were  informed  that  General  Bowen  and  Col- 
onel Montgomery  of  Pemberton’s  staff,  were  bearers 
of  a communication  to  General  Grant.  The  officers 
were  then  conducted  blindfolded  to  the  tent  of  Gen- 
eral Burbridge  and  their  message  was  delivered  to 
General  Grant.  It  proved  to  be  an  application  for  an 
armistice  with  a view  to  arranging  terms  of  capitula- 
tion. But  General  Grant  was  prompt  and  decided  in 
his  response.  He  would  have  nothing  but  uncondi- 
tional surrender.  However,  a meeting  was  arranged 
to  take  place  between  Grant  and  Pemberton  at  three 
o’clock  in  the  afternoon  of  that  day.  They  met  “ mid- 
way between  the  lines  under  a gigantic  oak,  while  the 
two  armies  left  their  places  of  concealment  and 
swarmed  upon  the  ramparts  to  witness  this  extraordi- 
nary scene.  Pemberton  was  the  first  to  speak  and 
asked  Grant  what  tentis  he  proposed.  “ Uncondi- 
tional surrender,”  was  tire  prompt  reply.  “ Never,” 
rejoined  the  haughty  Rebel,  “ so  long  as  I have  a man 
left  me.” 

“ Then,”  said  Grant,  “ you  can  continue  the  defence  : 
my  army  was  never  in  a better  condition  to  continue 
the  siege.” 

After  some  further  conversation  the  interview  termi- 
nated without  coming  to  definite  result,  Grant  saying 
he  would  confer  with  his  officers.  He  did  so,  and  sent 
a note  saying  that  the  entire  surrender  of  the  place 
and  garrison  would  be  required,  but  that  the  troops 


BATTLES  FOR  TUE  UNION. 


287 


would  be  paroled  and  allowed  to  march  out  of  the 
lines — the  officers  taking  with  them  their  regimental 
clothing,  and  the  staff,  and  field,  and  cavalry  officers  a 
horse  each.  The  proposal  was  accepted,  and,  on  the 
morning  of  the  Fourth  of  July,  General  McPherson 
met  Pemberton  half  a mile  within  the  lines  to  receive 
the  surrender.  General  Grant  soon  rode  up  and  the 
trio  went  together  into  the  town  where  General  Logan 
established  a provost-guard.  The  enemy’s  flag  was 
hauled  down  and  the  stars  and  stripes  went  up  over 
the  captured  works  amid  the  enthusiastic  cheers  of  the 
boys  in  blue.  At  half  past  eleven  o’clock  of  that 
eventful  morning  our  National  banner  shook  out  its 
folds  to  the  breeze  from  the  top  of  the  Court  House, 
while  the  soldiers,  standing  beneath  its  emblematic 
colors,  sang  “ Rally  round  the  Flag,”  with  a fervor 
which  only  a fresh  victory  for  that  banner  of  freedom 
could  lend. 

By  three  o’clock  in  the  afternoon  our  forces  had 
entire  possession  of  the  city  and  bluff,  and  the  Con- 
federate soldiers,  after  being  paroled,  and  supplied 
with  three  day’s  rations,  were  escorted  out  of  the  town 
and  across  the  Big  Black,  on  their  way  to  Jackson. 
The  number  of  prisoners  on  parole  from  the  capture 
of  Vicksburg  was  estimated  at  twenty-seven  thousand, 
— only  fifteen  thoirsand  being  fit  for  duty. 

The  surrender  of  Vicksburg  ended  one  of  the  most 
brilliant  and  successful  campaigns  of  the  war,  and  the 
name  of  Grant,  surrounded  with  a halo  which  had 
scarcely  reached  its  zenith  of  brightness  at  the  close 
of  the  rebellion,  was  already  beloved  of  the  nation. 
This  chapter  cannot  more  appropriately  close  than 


288 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


with  the  letter  which  President  Lincoln  wrote  to  the 
General  of  our  armies  after  this  campaign.  It  is 
dated  at  the 

“Executive  Mansion,  Washington, 

July  13th,  18G3. 

“ Major  General  Grant : 

“ My  dear  General : — I do  not  remember  that  you  and  I ever 
met  personally.  I write  this  now  as  a grateful  acknowledg- 
ment for  the  almost  inestimable  service  you  have  done  the 
country.  I wish  to  say  a word  further.  When  you  first  reached 
the  vicinity  of  Vicksburg,  I thought  you  should  do  what  you 
finally  did — march  the  troops  across  the  neck,  run  the  batteries 
with  the  transports  and  thus  go  below : and  I never  had  any 
faith  except  a general  hope  that  you  knew  better  than  I,  that 
the  Yazoo  Pass  expedition  and  the  like  could  succeed.  When 
you  got  below,  and  took  Port  Gibson,  Grand  Gulf  and  vicinity 
I thought  you  should  go  down  the  river  and  join  General 
Banks,  and  when  you  turned  northward,  east  of  the  Big  Black, 
I feared  it  was  a mistake.  I now  wish  to  make  the  personal 
acknowledgment  that  you  were  right  and  I was  wrong. 

A.  LINCOLN.” 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

H>0:E=LT  HUDSON 


The  Citadel  on  the  Bluffs. — Four  Miles  of  Batteries. — The  Pledge  of 
the  Northwest. — First  Operations  against  Port  Hudson. — The 
Stronghold  Invested. — General  Assault. — Repulse  and  Loss. — 
Bravery  of  Officers  and  Men. — Colonel  Bartlett — Heroic  Conduct 
of  Colored  Troops. — The  Siege  Carried  Forward. — Gloomy  Out- 
look.— Another  General  Assault. — Heavy  Losses. — The  Enemy 
Starving. — The  Delicacies  of  a Rat  Stew. — Announcement  of  the 
Surrender  of  Vicksburg. — The  Council  of  War  in  the  Camp  on  the 
Bluffs. — Unconditional  Surrender  of  Port  Hudson. — “ Flag  of  Union 
and  Freedom  Wave  !” — The  Promise  of  the  Northwest  Redeemed. 


DURING  the  stormy  days  of  the  civil  war,  when  Re- 
bellion flaunted  its  red  flag  over  our  fair  land,  Port 
Hudson,  on  the  Lower  Mississippi,  was  one  of  its  fast- 
nesses. Situated  at  a point  twenty-five  miles  north 
of  Baton  Rouge  in  Louisiana,  and  nearly  a hundred 
and  sixty  miles  by  water  above  New  Orleans,  Port 
Hudson,  secure  behind  its  strong  earthworks,  grimly 
guarded  all  hostile  approach — a very  Gibralter  of  de- 
fence. 

Along  its  bluffs,  commanding  four  miles  of  river 
distance,  a line  of  death-dealing  batteries  sentineled 
the  shore.  The  approach  to  the  little  village  from  the 
landward  side,  back  of  the  town,  was  like  ascending 
the  hill  Difficulty.  Ravines  and  swamps  and  other 
obstructions  stubbornly  contested  every  step  of  the 
way,  while  an  army  of  thirteen  thousand  men  gar- 


290 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


risoned  its  strongly  fortified  heights.  Before  the  capit- 
ulation  of  Vicksburg,  the  Confederates  had  exclusive 
control  of  the  Mississippi  River  between  that  point 
and  Port  Hudson — a stretch  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  miles.  Across  this  country,  various  essential  ar- 
ticles of  supply  wrere  transmitted  from  Texas,  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Rebel  armies,  and  by  its  occupation  the 
great  Northwest  was  robbed  of  one  of  its  main  ave- 
nues of  outlet.  Port  Hudson,  with  threatening  guns, 
barred  the  ascent  of  the  river  as  Vicksburg  barred  its 
descent,  and  it  was  of  the  greatest  importance  to  the 
country  at  large  and  to  our  armies,  that  this  arterial 
channel  should  be  opened  from  its  source  in  the  far 
north  to  its  mouth  at  the  gulf ; and  to  this  end  the 
patriotic  men  of  the  northwest  had  pledged  them- 
selves. 

As  early  as  the  month  of  March,  1863,  operations 
against  Port  Hudson  were  in  progress,  and  on  the 
thirteenth,  General  Banks  marched  his  command  from 
Baton  Rouge,  Louisiana,  towards  that  stronghold,  his 
object  being  a diversion  in  favor  of  Farra  gut’s  fleet, 
then  endeavoring  to  force  a passage  up  the  river. 
Three  divisions  under  Generals  Augur,  Grover,  and 
Emory  bivouacked  on  the  night  of  the  thirteenth 
within  sound  of  the  guns  on  the  bluff.  A detach- 
ment under  Colonel  Molineaux,  diverging  on  the 
Clinton  road,  encountered  a Confederate  force  at  Cy- 
press Bayou  Bridge,  and  a skirmish  ensued  which  re- 
sulted in  the  retirement  of  the  enemy  with  a loss  of 
eleven  killed  and  wounded.  On  the  fourteenth  the 
boats  Hartford  and  Albatross  of  the  fleet,  passed  up 
the  river  and  General  Banks  ordered  a return  to  Baton 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNIOX.  291 

Rouge,  having  accomplished  the  object  of  his  move- 
ment. 

On  May  twentieth — the  day  after  Vicksburg  was 
invested  by  Grant’s  besieging  army,  the  troops  under 
General  Banks  again  marched  on  Port  Hudson  and 
two  days  afterwards  drew  their  lines  closely  about 
it  in  regular  seige. 

On  the  twenty-fifth,  Banks  sent  the  Seventh  Illi- 
nois Cavalry  under  Colonel  Price,  to  destroy  the 
boats  Red  Chief  and  Starlight,  which  were  anchored 
just  above  Port  Hudson  in  Big  Sandy  Creek,  near  its 
confluence  with  the  Mississippi. 

The  object  of  this  order  was  to  cut  off  the  water 
communication  and  encircle  the  place  by  land  forces. 

The  troops  of  General  Banks  took  position  around 
this  stronghold,  beginning  at  the  extreme  north- 
western end  of  the  town  and  continuing  in  a south- 
easterly direction.  General  Augur  had  the  center, 
General  Grover  the  right,  and  General  T.  IV.  Sher- 
man the  left  wing. 

As  the  first  red  rays  of  morning  shot  athwart  the 
sky  on  May  twenty-seventh,  the  booming  of  cannon 
in  a simultaneous  burst  from  the  batteries  of  the  en- 
tire line,  woke  the  echoes  of  the  river  bluffs  and  an- 
nounced the  assault  of  Port  Hudson  begun.  The  fire 
did  not  slacken  until  one  o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  at 
which  time  an  assault  on  the  enemy's  left  was  or- 
dered, in  which  General  Sherman  was  to  co-operate, 
making  an  attack  at  the  same  time  on  the  Union  left. 
The  field  through  which  they  were  obliged  to  pass  in 
order  to  make  the  attack  was  thickly  strewn  with 
trees  recently  felled,  through  whose  obstructing 


292 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


branches  our  troops  advanced  in  the  face  of  shot  and 
shell  from  the  batteries  of  the  enemy  across  the  field. 
Mounted  officers  got  down  from  their  horses  and  led 
them  through  this  difficult  passage,  for  they  could  go 
forward  in  no  other  way  ; while  over  them  rained  a 
furious  storm  of  shot  and  shell.  For  two  hours  this 
deadly  fire  was  braved  by  the  heroic  men  struggling 
over  the  dangerous  ground  ; after  which  with  repulse 
and  loss  they  were  withdrawn.  “ Colonel  Bartlett  of 
the  Forty-ninth  Massachusetts,  having  lost  his  leg, 
was  compelled  to  go  on  horseback,  or  not  at  all.  The 
enemy  was  so  struck  with  his  bravery  that  orders  were 
issued  not  to  shoot  him.”  A little  later  in  the  day> 
Sherman’s  attack  on  the  left  was  equally  disastrous, 
the  General  losing  a leg  in  the  engagement  and  his 
command  suffering  heavy  losses. 

The  attacking  column  on  the  right  included  the  col- 
ored regiments  raised  by  Banks.  Of  their  bravery  on 
that  day  their  commanding  general  bears  this  testi- 
mony : “ In  many  respects,”  said  he,  “ their  conduct 

was  heroic  ; no  troops  could  be  more  determined  or 
daring.”  “There  had  been  so  much  incredulity 
avowed  as  to  negro  courage,  so  much  wit  lavished  on 
the  idea  of  negroes  fighting  to  any  purpose,  that  Gen- 
eral Banks  was  justified  in  according  especial  com- 
mendation to  these.” 

The  Union  loss  in  this  assault  was  reported  at  one 
thousand  and  the  enemy’s  loss  at  six  hundred. 
Among  the  killed  was  Colonel  Clarke  of  the  Sixth 
Michigan,  and  Colonel  D.  S.  Cowles  of  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Twenty-eighth  New  York — transfixed  by  a 
bayonet  : — Colonel  Payne,  Second  Louisiana  and  Col- 


BATTLES  FCR  THE  UNION. 


293 


onel  Chapin,  Thirtieth  Massachusetts.  General  T. 
W.  Sherman  was  severely  wounded  and  General  Neal 
Dow  slightly.  On  the  twenty-eighth  there  was  a ces- 
sation of  hostilities  for  the  purpose  of  burying  the 
dead. 

After  this  the  work  of  digging  their  way  to  victory 
went  earnestly  forward.  Zig-zag  trenches  were  pushed 
up  to  the  Rebel  fortifications  by  the  toilers  in  army 
blue,  working  under  the  relentless  rays  of  a June 
sun  ; while  our  siege  guns,  co-operating  with  the  artil- 
lery of  the  fleet,  sent  their  thunders  echoing  along  the 
shore.  For  two  weeks  this  work  went  on ; but  the 
chances  of  bringing  the  siege  to  a successful  conclu- 
sion were  full  of  doubt.  The  outlook  was  gloomy. 
The  small  army  of  Banks — now  dwindled  down  to 
twelve  thousand — was  isolated  in  a hostile  country. 
A.  force  of  twenty-five  hundred  Rebel  cavalry  occu- 
pied a position  in  close  proximity  to  the  Union  rear, 
and  the  well-garrisoned  fortress  of  the  bluff,  nearly 
impregnable  by  assault,  faced  them  with  threatening 
batteries,  in  front.  The  concentration  of  forces  for 
this  siege  had  left  most  of  the  territory  of  Louisiana, 
from  whence  Dick  Taylor  had  been  lately  driven,  an 
open  problem  for  him  to  solve,  retracing  his  steps 
across  the  state  if  he  liked,  conscripting  and  raiding 
as  he  went,  with  the  added  possibility  of  capturing 
New  Orleans  as  the  sum  of  the  problem. 

Georgia  and  Alabama  might  supply  force  enough  to 
raise  the  siege,  while  Joe  Johnston  was  liable  to  come 
down  from  Jackson  at  any  time  with  a command  of 
sufficient  strength  to  quench  any  hope  of  success. 
The  Confederate  line  of  defence  extended  for  a dis- 


294 


BA  TTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


tance  of  four  miles  around  Port  Hudson,  while  llic 
Union  lines,  encircling  theirs,  were  still  longer,  and  a 
strategic  concentration  of  their  forces  at  any  one 
point  of  the  garrison  must  necessarily  make  it  stronger 
at  such  a point  than  all  the  force  that  could  be  rallied 
against  it.  The  Mississippi  had  fallen  to  the  unusual 
depression  of  twenty-eight  feet,  which  interfered  with 
the  “ efficiency  of  the  gun-boats  and  the  means  of  ob- 
taining supply.”  The  capture  of  the  garrison  of 
Brasliear  City  on  the  morning  of  June  twenty-third, 
by  a large  Confederate  force  which  had  come  up  in 
rear  of  the  Union  army  during  the  previous  night, 
cut  off  the  Federal  occupation  of  Louisiana  west  of 
the  Mississippi.  The  enemy,  meantime,  harrassing 
the  communication  between  New  Orleans  and  Port 
Hudson,  had  captured  a quantity  of  supplies,  fifty 
miles  above  the  gulf,  destined  for  the  besieging  army. 
Surrounded  with  such  a combination  of  adverse  prob- 
abilities— with  Lee  triumphant  at  Chancellorsville  and 
Grant  defied  at  Vicksburg,  the  prospect  of  continuing 
the  siege  at  Port  Hudson,  looked  exceedingly  uncer- 
tain. Still,  the  besiegers  worked  steadily  and  earn- 
estly on.  After  two  weeks  of  digging  and  firing  “ a 
fresh  attempt  was  made,  under  a heavy  fire  of  artil- 
lery, to  establish  our  lines  within  attacking  distance 
of  the  enemy’s  works,  so  as  to  avoid  the  heavy  losses 
incurred  in  moving  over  the  ground  in  their  front. 
Our  men  advanced  at  three  o’clock  in  the  morning, 
working  their  way  through  the  difficult  abattis ; but 
the  movement  was  promptly  detected  by  the  enemy, 
and  defeated,  with  the  loss  on  our  side  of  some  scores 
as  prisoners.”  On  June  fourteenth — four  days  later — 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNI  OX. 


295 


another  united  assault  was  ordered.  General  Grover 
was  to  make  the  attack  in  front,  while  Dwight  and 
Augur  were  ordered  to  make  feints  on  the  extreme 
left.  The  attacks  were  made,  with  a loss  of  three 
hundred  men,  and  were  successful  only  in  advancing 
our  position  to  an  average  distance  of  from  fifty  to 
two  hundred  yards  nearer  the  Confederate  batteries. 
At  this  point  new  intrenclnnents  were  dug  and  new 
batteries  erected.  On  our  left,  a high  position  known 
as  the  “ Citadel”  was  carried,  by  which  Dwight  was 
enabled  to  occupy  the  ground  on  the  same  ridge^ 
within  ten  yards  of  the  enemy’s  lines.  An  exploding 
shell  was  dropped  into  the  mill  of  the  garrison,  and 
the  building,  with  its  two  hundred  bushels  of  corn 
burned  to  the  ground. 

The  field  over  which  the  attacking  column  was 
obliged  to  pass,  was  “ obstructed  by  an  abattis  of  felled 
trees  to  which  succeeded  a ditch  forty  feet  wide  with 
six  feet  of  water  in  it ; and  beyond  that,  a glacis 
about  twenty  feet  high,  sloping  gradually  to  the  para- 
pet on  which  was  a protection  for  the  sharpshooters  : 
behind  this,  one  hundred  yards  distant,  was  another 
line  of  works,  on  which  field  and  heavy  artillery  was 
mounted.” 

The  attack  commenced  at  daylight.  Our  skirmish- 
ers first  went  forward  and  deployed  on  both  sides  of 
the  objective  point,  while  the  rest  of  the  command 
followed.  The  Union  troops  suffered  severely  as  they 
advanced  from  the  sharp  fire  of  the  enemy,  but  un- 
daunted and  brave,  they  pushed  on,  in  order  to  gain 
the  ditch.  The  Seventy-Fifth  New  York  reaching  the 
ditch  encountered  a terrible  enfilading  fire  which  felled 


296 


BATTLES  FOR  TIIE  UNION. 


them  like  blades  of  grass  under  a hail  storm.  Nearly 
all  were  killed  or  wounded.  The  Ninety-first  New- 
York,  under  Colonel  Yan  Zandt,  nest  came  up,  carry- 
ing their  five-pound  hand  grenades  which  they  threw 
over  the  Rebel  breastworks.  Meantime,  General 
Weitzel’s  command  moving  up,  assaulted  the  works  of 
the  enemy  with  desperate  valor.  But  every  attack 
was  met  with  repulse.  “ Brigade  after  brigade  fol- 
lowed in  rapid  succession,  storming  the  works,  until 
compelled  to  fall  back  under  the  terrible  fire  of  the 
enemy.” 

At  eleven  o’clock  in  the  morning  the  firing  ceased, 
the  most  perceptible  result  of  the  battle  being  its 
dreadful  carnage. 

The  soldiers  of  the  respective  commands  dropped 
down  behind  the  shelter  of  gullies,  trees,  and  every- 
thing that  could  give  them  protection  from  the  deadly 
storm  of  shot  from  the  bluffs,  and  “waited  for  the  day 
to  pass  and  the  darkness  to  come  on.  At  nightfall, 
our  troops  commenced  the  burial  of  tlieir  dead  and 
succeeded  before  morning  in  carrying  most  of  their 
wounded  from  the  battle-ground.  Among  the  Union 
losses  were  General  Paine  and  five  colonels.  The  loss 
in  killed  and  wounded  was  over  two  thousand.”  On 
the  next  day  General  Banks  issued  an  order  calling 
on  a volunteer  storming  party  for  a last  assault.  He 
wanted  a thousand  men  to  lead  in  this  column  of  vic- 
tory. The  Fourth  Wisconsin  and  Sixth  Michigan  re- 
sponded to  the  call  and  made  the  attack  which  resulted 
in  their  repulse  and  the  capture  of  most  of  their  number- 
And  thus  the  tedious  siege  went  on — the  Union  force 
daily  losing  some  men,  in  addition  to  the  bloody  work 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


297 


of  tlie  assaults,  by  the  accurate  aim  of  the  enemy’s  ar- 
tillerists  and  sharpshooters.  But  slowly  and  surely, 
step  by  step,  our  troops  pushed  their  works  up  to  the 
very  line  of  the  enemy’s  defences,  and  on  our  left  a 
mine  calculated  for  thirty  barrels  of  powder  had  been 
placed  in  a position  to  explode  and  destroy  the  “ Cita- 
del.” The  Confederate  garrison  had  exhausted  their 
stores  to  such  an  extent  that  rations  of  mule  meat 
were  served  to  the  men,  and  rats  were  considered  deli- 
cate eating.  Their  ammunition  also  began  to  fail  and 
their  guns  had  been  disabled  by  the  sure  aim  of  our 
artillerists,  until  only  fifteen  out  of  fifty  were  fit  for 
use.  It  was  impossible  that  the  garrison  could  hold 
out  many  days  longer  except  by  attacks  which  would 
raise  the  siege — and  there  was  no  hope  of  that. 

“ Suddenly,  on  July  sixth,  our  batteries  and  gun- 
boats shook  the  heavens  with  one  tremendous  salute, 
while  cheer  upon  cheer  rose  from  behind  our  works, 
rolling  from  the  gun-boats  above,  to  those  below  the 
defenses,  and  back  again,  in  billows  of  unmistakable 
exultation.  It  was  not  the  ‘ glorious  Fourth,’  but  two 
days  after  it : and  the  sinking  hearts  of  the  besieged 
anticipated  the  tidings  before  our  men  shouted  across 
to  them,  “Vicksburg  has  surrendered!”  No  one 
needed  to  be  told  that,  if  such  was  the  truth,  further 
resistance  was  folly — that  re-enforcements  would  soon 
be  steaming  down  the  river  which  would  render  hold- 
ing out  impossible.” 

That  evening  a council  of  war  was  held  in  the  Con- 
federate camp  in  which  Gardner  was  chief,  and  the 
decision  reached  was  that  Port  Hudson  must  be  sur- 
rendered. Communication  was  opened  with  Banks, 


293 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNIOX. 


asking  if  the  news  shouted  across  the  lines  was  true  : 
whereupon,  General  Banks  sent  to  General  Gardner 
the  letter  of  Grant  announcing  the  surrender  of  Vicks- 
burg. Application  was  then  made  by  Gardner  for  a 
cessation  of  hostilities  in  order  to  arrange  terms  of 
capitulation  ; but  this,  Banks  declined.  Gardner  then 
asserted  his  willingness  to  surrender,  and  an  agree- 
ment was  entered  into,  whereby  the  garrison  became 
prisoners  of  war.  On  the  next  day — July  ninth — at 
seven  o’clock  in  the  morning,  formal  possession  was 
taken  of  the  place  by  the  army  of  Banks.  The  troops 
marched  in,  to  the  music  of  the  “ Star  spangled  Ban- 
ner,” and  found  the  Confederate  soldiers  drawn  up  in 
line  of  battle  with  their  arms  stacked  in  front  of  them. 
The  conquerors  and  conquered  now  met  on  fraternal 
ground,  who  had  confronted  each  other  in  mortal  com- 
bat before ; and  the  Union  General  fed  the  hungry 
soldiers  of  the  rebellious  Confederacy.  On  the  high- 
est bluff  of  the  battle-ground  the  old  flag  of  freedom 
went  up  amid  the  thundered  salute  of  the  guns  and  the 
cheers  of  our  brave  soldiers.  The  loss  on  our  side 
during  the  entire  siege  of  forty-five  days  was  estima- 
ted at  three  thousand  men  ; while  General  Banks  cal- 
culated the  Rebel  loss  at  eight  hundred  or  one  thou- 
sand. The  number  of  prisoners  captured  was  over  six 
thousand,  of  whom  four  hundred  and  fifty-five  were 
officers.  Fifty  guns  and  nearly  forty  thousand  small 
arms  were  also  captured. 

The  following  dispatch  was  received  at  Washing- 
ton : — 

Vicksburg,  Miss.,  July  11th,  1863. 
“ Major  General  Hallecle,  General-in-Chief : — 

“The  following  dispatch  has  been  received  from  General 
Banks : — 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNI  OX. 


299 


Before  Port  Hudson,  July  8th,  1863. 

“ General: — 

The  Mississippi  is  now  opened.  I have  the  honor  to  inform 
you  that  the  garrison  at  Port  Hudson  surrendered  uncondition- 
ally this  afternoon.  We  shall  take  formal  possession  at  seven 
o'clock  in  the  morning. 

(Signed.)  “ N.  P.  BANKS,  Major-General. 

“U.  S.  GRANT,  Major-General .” 

Thus  once  more  the  noble  Mississippi  was  opened 
for  the  free  passage  of  vessels  from  the  land  of  the 
Northwest  down  to  the  sea-board  ; the  guns  of  Vicks- 
burg and  Port  Hudson  no  longer  frowned  threateningly 
on  the  National  flag  ; the  Confederate  occupation  of  the 
river  ceased  for  ever  and  the  promise  of  the  men  of  the 
Northwest  was  redeemed. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


FALLIMG-  -W^TBI=LS. 

Kilpatrick’s  Advance  to  Hagerstown. — Lee’s  Position. — Efforts  to 
Cross  the  Swollen  Potomac. — Meade  Decides  to  Attack  the  Con- 
federates.— The  Escape  by  Night. — Kilpatrick’s  Discovery. — The 
Cavalry  in  Motion. — The  Encounter  at  Falling  Waters. — The 
Enemy  Surprised. — Hard  Fighting. — Death  of  Pettigrew. — Union 
Victory. — Capture  of  Battle-Flags  and  Prisoners. — Kilpatrick’s 
Letter. 

IN  the  early  part  of  July,  1863,  soon  after  the  bril- 
liant engagement  at  Boonsboro,  in  which  our  cav- 
alry under  Buford  and  Kilpatrick  distinguished  them- 
selves by  their  splendid  action,  the  cavalry  force  under 
Buford  moved  to  Sharpsburg.  This  point  was  then 
the  left  wing  of  the  Union  line  of  battle.  General 
Kilpatrick  occupying  the  extreme  right  of  this  line, 
his  position  commanded  the  road  from  Hagerstown  to 
Gettysburg.  On  the  twelfth  of  July,  Kilpatrick  sup- 
ported by  an  infantry  force  from  Howard’s  Corps, 
under  General  Ames,  advanced  to  Hagerstown,  and 
sweeping  down  on  the  Confederates  at  that  place, 
drove  them  from  the  town  and  established  himself  in 
their  quarters.  This  movement  shortened  our  lines 
by  a distance  of  some  miles. 

Lee,  after  being  driven  from  the  soil  of  Pennsyl- 
vania at  Gettysburg,  occupied  a strong  natural  position 
on  the  Maryland  shore  of  the  Potomac,  near  Palling 


BATTLES  FOR  TI1E  UNI  OF.  gQl 

Waters.  Here  he  fortified  himself  behind  formidable 
earthworks,  and  for  some  days  previous  to  the  battle 
had  been  making  strenuous  efforts  to  bridge  the  swol- 
len waters  of  the  Potomac  and  cross  over  to  the  Vir- 
ginia shore. 

On  the  thirteenth,  General  Meade  finally  decided  to 
assault  the  Rebel  position.  Orders  to  the  various 
commands  had  been  issued,  the  necessary  dispositions 
completed,  and  the  attack  was  to  have  been  made  on 
the  fourteenth  of  July. 

During  the  night  of  the  thirteenth,  General  Kil- 
patrick, while  examining  his  picket  line,  became  con- 
vinced from  certain  well-known  indications,  that  the 
enemy  was  leaving  his  front. 

At  once  a courier  was  sent  flying  to  Meade’s  head- 
quarters, with  the  intelligence  ; but  Kilpatrick,  without 
waiting  for  orders,  organized  his  command,  and  at 
three  o’clock  on  the  dark  dawn  of  the  fourteenth,  the 
cavalry  were  in  motion.  At  Williamsport,  at  seven 
o’clock,  they  encountered  a portion  of  the  rear-guard 
of  the  enemy  and  drove  them  into  the  Potomac.  From 
this  point  they  moved  rapidly  forward  and  came  upon 
the  remainder  of  the  Confederate  rear-guard  one  mile 
from  Falling  Waters. 

The  enemy’s  force  consisted  of  an  infantry  division 
under  Major-general  Pettigrew.  Like  a whirlwind 
Kilpatrick  swept  down  upon  the  Confederates,  taking 
them  utterly  by  surprise  and  capturing  their  artillery 
before  it  could  be  placed  in  position.  General  Petti- 
grew was  killed  in  a sabre  charge  led  by  Major  Web- 
ber, of  the  Sixth  Michigan.  Long  and  bravely  did 
the  enemy’s  infantry  struggle  to  resist  and  hurl  back 

13 


302 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


the  wild  charges  of  our  cavalry: — but  in  vain.  Over- 
powered by  the  repeated  and  furious  attacks  of  Kil- 
patrick they  at  last  broke  and  fled  in  confused  disor- 
der, and  the  battle  was  ours.  Pennington’s  artillery 
was  very  effective  in  cooperating  with  the  cavalry  in 
this  engagement.  Fifteen  hundred  prisoners,  two 
guns,  and  three  battle-flags  were  captured,  and  the 
dead  and  wounded  of  the  enemy  strewed  the  ground. 
The  fight  at  Falling  Waters  gave  the  parting  blow  to 
Lee’s  invading  army  and  sent  them  in  rapid  retreat 
through  Virginia. 

The  following  dispatch  was  sent  to  Washington  by 
General  Meade : — 

Headquarters  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

July  14,  3 p.  m. 

JET.  W.  HallecTc , General-in-  Chief : 

My  cavalry  now  occupy  Falling  Waters,  having  overtaken 
and  captured  a brigade  of  infantry,  fifteen  hundred  strong,  two 
guns,  two  caissons,  two  battle-flags,  and  a large  number  of 
small-arms.  The  enemy  are  all  across  the  Potomac. 

George  G.  Meade,  Major-General. 

Later  in  the  day  he  sent  the  following : 

Headquarters  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
July  14,  8.30  p.  m. 

Major-General  HallecTc , General-in-Chief : 

My  cavalry  have  captured  five  hundred  prisoners,  in  addition 
to  those  previously  reported.  General  Pettigrew,  of  the  Con- 
federate army,  was  killed  this  morning  in  the  attack  on  the 
enemy’s  rearguard.  His  body  is  in  our  hands. 

G.  G.  Meade,  Major-General. 

These  dispatches  were  afterwards  denied  by  Gene- 
ral Lee  in  a letter  to  his  authorities,  as  follows : 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


303 


Headquarters  Army  of  Northern  Virginia. 

July , 1863. 

General  S.  Cooper,  Adjutant  and  Inspector-  General  C.  S.  A : 

General:  I have  seen  in  the  Northern  papers  what  pur- 
ports to  be  an  official  dispatch  from  General  Meade,  stating 
that  he  had  captured  a brigade  of  infantry,  two  pieces  of 
artillery,  two  caissons,  and  a large  number  of  small  arms,  as 
this  army  retired  to  the  south  bank  of  the  Potomac  on  the 
thirteenth  and  fourteenth  instant.  This  dispatch  has  been 
copied  into  the  Richmond  papers ; and,  as  its  official  character 
may  cause  it  to  be  believed,  I desire  to  state  that  it  is  incorrect. 
The  enemy  did  not  capture  any  organized  body  of  men  on  that 
occasion,  but  only  stragglers,  and  such  as  were  left  asleep  on 
the  road,  exhausted  by  the  fatigue  and  exposure  of  one  of  the 
most  inclement  nights  I have  ever  known  at  this  season  of  the 
year.  It  rained  without  cessation,  rendering  the  road  by  which 
our  troops  marched  toward  the  bridge  at  Falling  Waters  very 
difficult  to  pass,  and  causing  so  much  delay  that  the  last  of  the 
troops  did  not  cross  the  river  at  the  bridge  until  one  a.  m.  on 
the  morning  of  the  fourteenth. 

While  the  column  was  thus  detained  on  the  road  a number 
of  men,  worn  down  with  fatigue,  laid  down  in  bams  and  by 
the  roadside,  and  though  officers  were  sent  back  to  arouse  them 
as  the  troops  moved  on,  the  darkness  and  rain  prevented  them 
from  finding  all,  and  many  were  in  this  way  left  behind.  Two 
guns  were  left  on  the  road ; the  horses  that  drew  them  became 
exhausted,  and  the  officers  went  back  to  procure  others.  When 
they  returned,  the  rear  of  the  column  had  passed  the  guns  so 
far  that  it  was  deemed  unsafe  to  send  back  for  them,  and  they 
were  thus  lost.  No  arms,  cannon,  or  prisoners  were  taken  by 
the  enemy  in  battle,  but  only  such  as  were  left  behind,  as  I have 
described,  under  the  circumstances.  The  number  of  stragglers 
thus  lost  I am  unable  to  state  with  accuracy,  but  it  is  greatly 
exaggerated  in  the  dispatch  referred  to. 

I am  with  great  respect  your  obedient  servant. 

R.  E.  Lee,  General. 


304 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


This  was  evidently  an  attempt,  on  the  part  of  the 
Rebel  leader,  to  disparage  our  victories  and  to  wipe 
out  of  his  record,  with  a sort  of  legerdemain,  the  dis- 
graceful and  disastrous  denoument  of  his  invasion.  In 
the  following  important  statement  General  Meade  con- 
firms his  position  by  incontestable  facts,  and  shows 
how  the  matter  stood  : 

Headquarters  Army  op  the  Potomac. 

Aug , 1863. 

Major- General  Halleclc , General-in-Chief : 

My  attention  has  been  called  to  what  purports  to  be  an 
official  dispatch  of  General  R.  E.  Lee,  commanding  the  Rebel 
army,  to  General  S.  Cooper,  Adjutant  and  Inspector-General, 
denying  the  accuracy  of  my  telegram  to  you,  of  July  four- 
teenth, announcing  the  result  of  the  cavalry  affair  at  Falling 
Waters. 

1 have  delayed  taking  any  notice  of  Lee’s  report  until  the 
return  of  Brigadier-General  Kilpatrick,  absent  on  leave,  who 
commanded  the  cavalry  on  the  occasion  referred  to,  and  on 
whose  report  from  the  field  my  telegram  was  based.  I now  en- 
close the  official  report  of  Brigadier-General  Kilpatrick,  made 
after  his  attention  had  been  called  to  Lee’s  report.  You  will 
see  that  he  reiterates  and  confirms  all  that  my  dispatch  averred, 
and  proves  most  conclusively  that  General  Lee  has  been  de- 
ceived by  his  subordinates,  or  he  would  never,  in  the  face  of  the 
facts  now  alleged,  have  made  the  assertion  his  report  claims. 

It  appears  that  I was  in  error  in  stating  that  the  body  of 
General  Pettigrew  was  left  in  our  hands,  although  I did  not 
communicate  that  fact  until  an  officer  from  the  field  reported 
to  me  he  had  seen  the  body.  It  is  now  ascertained  from  the 
Richmond  papers,  that  General  Pettigrew,  though  mortally 
wounded  in  the  affair,  was  taken  to  Winchester,  where  he  sub- 
sequently died.  The  three  battle-flags  captured  on  this  occa- 
sion, and  sent  to  Washington,  belonged  to  the  Fortieth,  Forty- 
seventh,  and  Fifty-fifth  Virginia  regiments  of  infantry. 

General  Lee  will  surely  acknowledge  these  were  not  left  in 
the  hands  of  stragglers  asleep  in  barns. 

George  G.  Meade,  Major-General  Commanding. 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 


305 


Kilpatrick,  in  his  letter  of  explanation,  referred  to 
in  the  above  despatch,  gives  the  following  graphic 
account  of  this  last  scene  in  the  great  drama  of  the 
invasion : 

Headquarters  Third  Division  Cavalry  Corps, 

Warrenton  Junction,  Va.,Aug. . 

To  Colonel  A.  J.  Alexander , Chief  of  Staff  of  Cavalry  Corps  : 

Colonel  : In  compliance  with  a letter  just  received  from  the 
headquarters  of  the  Cavalry  Corps  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
directing  me  to  give  the  facts  connected  with  the  fight  at  Fall- 
ing Waters,  I have  the  honor  to  state  that,  at  three  a.  m.  of  the 
fourteenth  ultimo,  I learned  that  the  enemy’s  pickets  were  re- 
tiring in  my  front.  Having  been  previously  ordered  to  attack 
at  seven  a.  m.,  I was  ready  to  move  at  once. 

At  daylight  I had  reached  the  crest  of  hills  occupied  by  the 
enemy  an  hour  before,  and,  a few  minutes  before  six,  General 
Custer  drove  the  rear-guard  of  the  enemy  into  the  river  at  Wil- 
liamsport. Learning  from  citizens  that  a portion  of  the  enemy 
had  retreated  in  the  direction  of  Falling  Waters,  I at  once 
moved  rapidly  for  that  point,  and  came  upwith  the  rear-guard 
of  the  enemy  at  seven  thirty  a.  m.,  at  a point  two  miles  distant 
from  Falling  Waters.  We  pressed  on,  driving  them  before  us, 
capturing  many  prisoners  and  one  gun.  When  within  a mile 
and  a half  of  Falling  Waters,  the  enemy  was  found  in  large 
force,  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle  on  the  crest  of  a hill,  command- 
ing the  road  on  which  I was  advancing.  His  left  was  protected 
by  earthworks,  and  his  right  extended  to  the  woods  on  our  left. 

The  enemy  was,  when  first  seen,  in  two  lines  of  battle,  with 
arms  stacked  within  less  than  one  thousand  yards  of  the  large 
force.  A second  piece  of  artillery,  with  its  support,  consisting 
of  infantry,  was  captured  while  attempting  to  get  into  position. 
The  gun  was  taken  to  the  rear.  A portion  of  the  Sixth  Michi- 
gan Cavalry,  seeing  only  that  portion  of  the  enemy  behind  the 
earthworks  charged.  This  charge  was  led  by  Major  Webber, 
and  was  the  most  gallant  ever  made.  At  a trot  he  passed  up 
the  hill,  received  the  fire  from  the  whole  line,  and  the  next  mo- 
ment rode  through  and  over  the  earthworks,  and  passed  to  the 


306 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


right,  sabring  the  Rebels  along  the  entire  line,  and  returned 
with  a loss  of  thirty  killed,  wounded,  and  missing,  including 
the  gallant  Major  Webber,  killed. 

I directed  General  Custer  to  send  forward  one  regiment  as 
skirmishers.  They  were  repulsed  before  support  could  be  sent 
them,  and  driven  back,  closely  followed  by  the  Rebels,  until 
checked  by  the  First  Michigan  and  a squadron  of  the  Eighth 
New  York.  The  Second  brigade  having  come  up,  it  was 
quickly  thrown  into  position,  and,  after  a light  of  two  hours 
and  thirty  minutes,  routed  the  enemy  at  all  points  and  drove 
him  toward  the  river. 

When  within  a short  distance  of  the  bridge,  General  Buford’s 
command  came  up  and  took  the  advance.  We  lost  twenty- 
nine  killed,  thirty-six  wounded,  and  forty  missing.  We  found 
upon  the  field  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  dead  Rebels,  ancl 
brought  away  upward  of  fifty  wounded.  A large  number  of 
the  enemy’s  wounded  were  left  upon  the  field  in  charge  of  their 
own  surgeons.  We  captured  two  guns,  three  battle-flags,  and 
upward  of  fifteen  hundred  prisoners. 

To  General  Custer  and  his  brigade,  Lieutenant  Pennington 
and  his  battery,  and  one  squadron  of  the  Eighth  New  York 
Cavalry,  of  General  Buford’s  command,  all  praise  is  due. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

J.  Kilpatrick,  Brigadier- General. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 


CHICKAMAUG-A. 

Under  the  Shadow  of  Lookout  Mountain. — Evacuation  of  Chattanoo- 
ga.— The  Long  Battle-line. — Bragg  Contests  the  Union  Advance, — 
Disposition  of  Troops  at  Chickamauga  Creek. — Attack  of  the  Nine- 
teenth.— Fierce  Struggle  for  Position. — Bragg’s  Attack  of  the 
Twentieth. — Furious  Fighting. — Buckner’s  Battery  and  its  Deadly 
Work. — The  Union  Army  Cut  in  Two. — Thomas  on  Missionary 
Ridge. — The  Storm  Breaks. — Desperate  Assault  of  Longstreet. — 
Repulse  of  the  Confederates. — Thomas,  Master  of  the  Field. — The 
Enemy  in  Retreat. — Occupation  of  Chattanooga. — Letter  of  Rose- 
crans. 

THE  battle  fought  under  the  shadow  of  Lookout 
Mountain  on  West  Chickamauga  Creek,  Septem- 
ber nineteenth  and  twentieth,  1863,  secured  to  the 
Federal  Government  the  possession  of  Chattanooga — 
a strong  strategic  point  on  the  Tennessee  River,  and 
one  of  the  three  difficult  passes  in  a mountain  range 
of  forty  miles.  The  occupation  of  this  point  and  of 
Cumberland  Gap  furnished  a base  which  commanded 
the  States  of  Tennessee  and  Kentucky,  and  also  sup- 
plied a key  for  operations  against  Alabama,  Georgia, 
and  South  Carolina. 

Bragg  had  evacuated  Chattanooga  as  a matter  of 
necessity,  in  order  to  prevent  the  army  of  Rosecrans 
from  coming  between  him  and  his  expected  reinforce- 
ments. It  was  an  attempt  to  regain  possession  of  the 
roads  leading  to  Chattanooga,  after  being  reinforced, 


308 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 


and  also  of  the  town  itself,  that  brought  on  the  battle 
of  Chickamauga. 

Crittenden’s  Corps  occupied  a position  on  the 
Creek,  near  Gordon’s  Mill,  with  the  entire  Confeder- 
ate army  in  his  front.  The  corps  of  Thomas  was  at 
the  eastern  foot  of  Lookout  Mountain,  and  McCook 
held  Winston’s  Gap,  forty  miles  away.  The  army  of 
Rosecrans  thus  occupied  all  the  passes  of  Lookout 
Mountain  from  Gordon’s  Mill  to  Alpine. 

On  the  fourteenth  of  September  Bragg  had  concen- 
trated his  forces  at  Lafayette,  Georgia,  to  contest  the 
Union  advance, — his  army  having  been  reinforced  by 
troops  from  Mississippi,  and  by  the  captured  garrison 
of  Vicksburg  and  Port  Hudson,  released  on  parole 
and  declared  exchanged  by  the  Confederate  authori- 
ties. The  Union  headquarters,  meantime,  had  been 
established  at  a place  called  Crawfish  Springs,  the 
army  being  concentrated  on  West  Chickamauga 
Creek. 

When  our  troops  attempted  to  advance  southward 
through  the  passes  of  Pigeon  Mountain,  the  enemy 
were  discovered  to  be  in  force  in  our  immediate  front 
beyond  the  creek. 

Rosecrans  and  his  army  occupied  the  rising  ground 
west  of  the  stream,  while  the  enemy  held  a position 
east  of  it.  On  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth,  re- 
connoissances  were  made  which  showed  that  Bragg 
was  massing  his  troops  in  front  of  Rosecrans’  left  and 
center,  with  the  evident  purpose  of  placing  himself 
between  Chattanooga  and  the  Union  army.  To  coun- 
teract this  movement,  Rosecrans  wheeled  his  whole 
army  back  down  the  creek. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


309 


On  Saturday  morning,  the  nineteenth,  the  Union 
line  of  battle  stretched  along  the  Lafayette  and  Ross- 
vill'e  road,  due  north  and  south — the  right  resting  at 
Gordon’s  Mills  and  the  left  at  Kelly’s  House.  “ On 
the  extreme  left  was  Brannan,  next  Baird  and  Rey- 
nolds, with  Johnston  in  reserve  in  the  center,  Palmer 
on  the  right  of  Reynolds,  Yan  Cleve  on  his,  and  Wood 
at  Gordon’s  Mills.  The  line  completed  by  the  divis- 
ions of  Davis  and  Sheridan,  faced  a little  south  of 
east.  Negley  formed  a defensive  crotchet  at  Owen’s 
Ford,  higher  up  the  valley.  Detached  from  this  line, 
covering  the  Ringgold  approach  to  Rossville,  the  re- 
serve corps  under  General  Gordon  Granger,  was  sta- 
tioned, but  not  operating  with  the  main  column,  can 
hardly  be  said  to  have  formed  part  of  the  line  of  bat- 
tle.” The  Confederate  army  reached  Chickamauga 
Creek  on  the  eighteenth,  after  a dusty  march  of  four 
days,  having  increased  their  strength  by  three  brig- 
ades under  General  Hood — Longstreet  and  his  troops 
not  having  yet  arrived.  At  ten  o’clock  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  nineteenth  our  left  attacked  the  Confeder- 
ates with  the  intention  of  driving  them  across  the 
stream.  The  battle  was  a struggle  for  position,  and 
though  it  lasted  until  nightfall  neither  army  were  suc- 
cessful in  gaining  the  contested  ground.  The  troops 
of  Crittenden’s  corps  on  the  Union  side  received  the 
brunt  of  the  attack,  and  on  the  Confederate  side,  the 
forces  under  the  Irish  Major  Cleburn — once  a private 
in  the  English  army,  and  at  that  time  risen  to  the 
rank  of  Major-General  in  the  Confederate  army — 
were  the  chief  contestants. 

“ During  the  night  of  Saturday,  General  Rosccrans 
13* 


310 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


made  some  changes  in  the  disposition  of  his  forces,  by 
which  the  line  was  so  far  withdrawn  that  it  rested 
along  a crossroad  running  northeast  and  southwest, 
and  connecting  the  Rossville  with  the  Lafayette  road. 
By  this  change  the  line  was  shortened  one  mile,  and 
the  right  wing  caused  to  rest  on  a strong  position  at 
Mission  Ridge.  Thomas  held  the  left,  Crittenden  the 
center,  and  McCook  the  right.  Upon  the  right  of 
General  Thomas’  line,  as  held  by  Reynolds  and  Bran- 
nan,  was  a slight  rise  in  the  plain,  and  from  the  top 
of  this  the  whole  field  could  be  commanded.  It  was 
the  key  to  the  position.  During  the  night,  the  troops 
of  Thomas  had  built  a rude  breastwork  of  logs  and 
rails  for  their  protection.  General  Lytle  held  Gor- 
don’s Mills. 

General  Longstreet  joined  the  Confederate  force 
on  Chickamauga  Creek  late  on  the  night  of  the 
nineteenth,  and  was  placed  in  command  of  the  Con- 
federate left  wing.  At  nine  o’clock  on  the  morning 
of  the  twentieth,  the  fighting  was  renewed. 

An  attack  had  been  ordered  at  daybreak,  but 
unforeseen  obstacles  delayed  the  movement  until  a 
later  hour.  Bragg  pursued  his  usual  plan  of  battle  at 
Chickamauga,  which  was  to  make  a successive  attack 
along  the  whole  line  from  right  to  left.  Accord- 
ingly, a furious  battle  was  soon  raging  around  the 
Union  left  between  the  veteran  troops  of  Thomas  and 
the  attacking  lines  of  the  enemy.  Again  and  again 
the  Confederates  charged  the  Union  ranks,  behind 
their  breastworks  of  logs  and  rails,  with  impetuous 
fury  ; but  each  time  they  met  with  repulse.  A storm 
of  fire  and  shot  from  our  batteries  mowed  down  the 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 


311 


Confederate  ranks  with  bloody  havoc  and  sent  them 
reeling  back  upon  their  supports.  At  eleven  o’clock, 
Longstreet  had  commenced  his  attack.  “ Steadily 
advancing,  he  swept  away  the  head  of  every  forma- 
tion ; though  often  checked  and,  for  the  moment, 
repulsed,  again  and  again  he  rode  to  the  head  of  his 
troops,  and,  hat  in  hand,  rising  in  his  stirrups,  with 
voice  and  gesture  animated  his  men.  The  Western 
troops  were  brave  and  hardy  men,  the  material  of  as 
fine  an  army  as  ever  shouldered  musket,  but  could 
not  check  the  attack  of  Longstreet,  who  was  pressing 
right  on  for  the  possession  of  Chattanooga.”  Rose- 
crans  saw  the  danger  and  quickly  took  measures  to 
meet  it.  Wood  was  instantly  ordered  to  the  support 
of  Reynolds,  while  Davis  and  Sheridan  moved  over 
to  the  left,  and  thus  closed  up  the  line.  Wood, 
though  fiercely  assaulted,  succeeded  in  reaching  his 
destination.  The  Confederate  General  Walker  dis- 
patched a courier  to  Longstreet  with  intelligence 
of  this  movement,  and  Buckner’s  battery  of  twelve 
pieces  was  immediately  ordered  forward. 

Davis,  who  was  coming  up  to  fill  Wood’s  place, 
received  the  full  force  of  this  encounter  and  was 
driven  to  the  right  in  disorder  by  the  sudden  fury  of 
the  attack.  His  command  lost  heavily  in  killed  and 
wounded.  On  the  right,  the  onset  of  the  foe  was 
equally  severe,  and  the  divisions  of  Van  Cleve  and 
Palmer  were  forced  to  give  way  in  confusion.  “ The 
rout  of  the  right  and  center  was  now  complete,  and 
after  that  fatal  break  the  line  of  battle  was  not  again 
re-formed  during  the  day.”  The  Union  army  was 
now  cut  in. two,  the  disaster  being  largely  due  to  the 


312 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


terrible  work  of  Buckner’s  battery.  McCook  was 
hurled  back  to  the  right  and,  with  the  exception 
of  one  brigade  of  Wood’s,  Crittenden’s  corps  was 
broken  in  pieces.  Thomas  had  formed  his  line  of 
battle  in  a semi-circular  position,  with  the  right  at 
the  Gap,  as  the  arc  of  the  circle,  and  a hill  near  its 
center  forming  the  key  to  the  position.  His  left 
rested  on  the  Lafayette  road.  At  this  point  the 
troops  which  had  hurled  back  the  Rebel  right  in 
the  morning  were  rallied,  together  with  poi'tions  of 
Sheriden’s  and  other  divisions. 

Longstreet,  sweeping  onward  with  a career  un- 
checked during  .the  day,  now  hurled  his  battalions 
against  this  position.  But  Thomas,  intrenched  be- 
hind his  earthworks,  held  the  Ridge  securely  against 
every  assault  of  the  enemy  and  sent  him  back  with 
terrible  repulse.  About  mid-afternoon,  the  Confeder- 
ate columns  began  pouring  through  a break  in  the 
Union  right  flank,  but  Granger  with  his  reserves 
reaching  the  field  at  this  time,  succeeded  in  pushing 
them  back. 

The  storm  of  battle  now  broke  over  Thomas  and 
his  stalwart  men  on  Missionary  Ridge  with  greater 
fury  than  before.  His  troops,  formed  in  two  battle- 
lines, advanced  to  the  crest  of  the  Ridge  and  delivered 
their  volleys  in  rotation.  As  the  deadly  rifle-blast  of 
one  line  blazed  out  on  the  air  with  terrible  accuracy, 
the  men,  falling  back  a little,  dropped  on  the  ground 
to  re-load,  while  the  second  line  marched  to  the 
crest  and  discharged  their  fire  into  the  ranks  of  the 
enemy.  With  desperate  valor  the  Confederates  came 
forward  again  and  again  to  take  by  assault  this 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 


313 


strong  position  ; but  their  efforts  'were  in  vain.  The 
division  of  Preston  succeeded  in  partly  ascending  the 
hill,  hut  was  swept  back  as  the  previous  attacking 
divisions  had  been,  with  repulse  and  loss. 

At  last,  as  twilight  darkened  the  bloody  field,  the 
enemy  retired  beyond  the  range  of  our  artillery,  and 
Thomas  was  master  of  the  situation.  The  troops  of 
McCook  and  Crittenden  had  by  this  time  retired 
within  the  defences  of  Chattanooga,  and  during  the 
night  Thomas  fell  back  to  Rossville,  “ where,  on  the 
twenty-first,  he  offered  battle  to  the  enemy,  who, 
however,  declined  to  renew  the  contest.  Accord- 
ingly, on  the  night  of  the  twenty-first  he  withdrew 
his  troops  into  Chattanooga.”  The  total  Union  loss 
in  this  battle  of  Chickamauga,  in  killed,  wounded, 
and  missing,  was  fifteen  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
fifty-one  men.  Thirty-six  guns,  twenty  caissons,  and 
several  thousand  small  arms  and  infantry  accoutre- 
ments were  also  lost,  besides  two  thousand  prisoners 
captured.  The  Rebel  loss,  as  stated  by  themselves, 
was  over  eighteen  thousand. 

In  this  bloody  battle  of  Chickamauga,  it  was 
afterwards  well  known  that  the  enemy  largely  out- 
numbered us.  General  Rosecrans,  in  a letter  written 
concerning  the  battle,  says:  — “we  fought  against 
terrible  odds,”  and  estimates  the  number  opposed  to 
him  in  battle  at  ninety-three  thousand.  He  also  says 
that  a “ Union  merchant  of  Chattanooga  who  was  at 
Marietta  when  the  foe  were  advancing  on  us,  tried  to 
send  me  word,  and  subsequently  saw  and  told  me 
that  the  enemy  had  reenforced  Bragg  with  thirty 
thousand  under  Longstreet  and  twenty-five  thousand 


314 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


under  Joe  Johnston,  in  addition  to  which  Governor 
Brown  had  fifteen  thousand  Georgia  militia ; and  so 
confident  were  they  of  overwhelming  us  that  the 
Kentucky  and  Tennessee  Rebel  refugees  at  Marietta 
had  hired  conveyances  and  loaded  their  household 
goods,  expecting  to  follow  their  victorious  hosts  back 
into  Tennessee  and  Kentucky. 

“ I could  add  much  more  corroborative  evidence 
to  show  that  the  brave  and  devoted  Army  of  the 
Cumberland  sustained  and  successfully  resisted  the 
utmost  power  of  a veteran  Rebel  army,  filled  with 
the  spirit  of  emulation  and  hope,  and  more  than 
one-half  larger  than  itself — inflicted  on  it  much 
more  damage  than  we  received,  and  held  the  coveted 
objective  point,  Chattanooga. 

“ What  we  attempted,  we  accomplished.  We  took 
Chattanooga  from  a force  nearly  as  large  as  our  own, 
and  held  it  after  our  enemy  had  been  reenforced  by 
as  many  men  as  we  had  in  our  whole  command.” 

After  the  occupation  of  this  point  by  the  Union 
army,  the  passes  of  Lookout  Mountain  were  taken 
possession  of  by  the  Confederates,  which,  together 
with  the  capture  of  McMinnville,  almost  completely 
cut  off  Rosecrans  from  his  base. 

Why  Bragg  left  so  many  public  buildings  stand- 
ing in  Chattanooga — so  many  depots  of  supply,  and 
all  his  hospitals,  besides  two  steamboats,  was  cause 
for  much  speculation  and  wonder  among  the  Union 
troops  when  they  entered  that  city ; but  these  things 
made  it  evident  that  his  evacuation  of  Chattanooga 
was  only  a temporary  movement. 

Owing  to  faulty  dispositions  of  troops,  the  battle 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


315 


of  Chickamauga  lost  to  Rosecrans  the  confidence  of 
his  Government.  He  was  shorn  also  of  his  former 
prestige,  and  the  public  dissatisfaction  brought  about 
a change  of  commanders.  It  is  a difficult  question  to 
answer,  whether  he  could  have  avoided  a battle  : or, 
having  changed  the  scene  of  conflict  to  Chattanooga, 
whether  a battle  fought  there  would  have  brought 
about  more  favorable  results. 

Unlooked  for  contingencies  sometimes  arise  in  the 
best  laid  plans  of  men  and  mice  which  overturn 
their  most  reasonable  calculations.  To  ask  whether 
certain  events,  had  they  happened,  would  be  more 
fruitful  in  good  results  than  certain  other  events 
which  did  transpire,  is  like  propounding  the  riddle  of 
the  Sphinx. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 


IB  IEFL  I S T O E . 

Condition  of  Meade’s  Army. — “ Going  Home  to  Vote.” — Lee’s  Ad- 
vance.— Cavalry  Encounter. — Roast  Lamb  and  Coffee  Left  Behind. 
— Order  for  Retreat. — Fight  at  James  City. — Incidents  of  the  Day. — 
On  to  Washington. — Stuart  Hemmed  in  at  Catlett’s  Station — The 
Pine  Thicket. — The  Concealed  Force. — Hill  Entangled. — Battle  of 
Bristoe. — Sharp  Fighting. — The  Confederates  Beaten. — Lee  in  Full 
Retreat. — The  Campaign  Ended. 

AFTER  the  memorable  battle  of  Gettysburg,  Lee 
retired  to  the  south  bank  of  the  Rapidan,  where, 
from  the  first  days  of  July  until  October  tenth,  he  re- 
mained comparatively  inactive  save  in  strengthening 
his  resources  and  recruiting  his  army.  About  a month 
previous  to  this  date,  some  new  dispositions  of  troops 
in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  were  supposed  to  indi- 
cate a forward  movement  on  the  part  of  General 
Meade  ; but  all  was  quiet  along  the  Potomac  until  the 
middle  of  the  month  of  October. 

Meantime,  on  account  of  important  military  move- 
ments in  Tennessee,  reenforcements  from  Meade’s 
army  had  been  sent  to  help  Rosecrans  in  his  South- 
western battles,  and  the  autumn  elections  of  Ohio  and 
Pennsylvania  caused  a large  number  of  troops  to  be 
furloughed  in  the  interest  of  the  freeman’s  right  of 
elective  franchise.  Lee,  taking  advantage  of  this 
state  of  affairs,  and  despite  the  fact  that  Longstreet 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


31T 


had  been  sent  to  reenforce  Bragg  in  the  West,  deter- 
mined on  another  attempt  to  accomplish  the  invasion 
of  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania.  Accordingly,  on  the 
ninth  of  October,  1863,  the  army  of  Lee  was  in  mo- 
tion and  crossed  the  Rapidan  with  the  design  of 
bringing  on  an  engagement  with  Meade,  whose  troops 
were  encamped  around  Culpepper  Court  House  and 
from  that  point  to  the  Rapidan. 

The  cavalry  of  Fitzhugh  Lee  was  ordered  to  remain 
and  hold  their  lines  south  of  the  Rapidan,  while  Gen- 
eral Imboden  advanced  by  way  of  the  Shenandoah 
valley  to  guard  the  passes  of  the  mountain.  Hamp- 
ton’s division  of  Stuart’s  cavalry,  moving  on  the  right 
of  the  column,  encountered  our  cavalry  under  Kil- 
patrick near  James  City  on  October  tenth. 

It  was  early  in  the  morning,  and  steaming  break- 
fasts of  roast  lamb,  sweet  potatoes,  bread,  milk,  and 
honey  were  left  untasted  as  our  pickets  were  driven  in 
with  the  intelligence  that  an  attack  in  force  was  being 
made  in  our  front.  A prompt  retreat  was  ordered 
Which  was  executed  in  good  style,  with  columns  un- 
broken and  regiments  closed  up.  . At  the  river  sharp 
skirmishing  occurred,  which  deepened  into  a furious 
battle  when  we  reached  a point  nearer  James  City. 
Here  the  enemy  charged  us  with  wild  impetuosity,  but 
our  boys  returned  the  attack  with  an  equally  vehe- 
ment counter-charge,  repelling  their  advancing  legions 
with  the  same  determined  front  that  had  won  the  day 
on  many  a previous  battle-field.  Nightfall  at  length 
put  an  end  to  the  conflict  which  had  raged  ceaselessly 
since  morning  with  alternate  charges,  counter-charges, 
and  skirmishes.  On  that  eventful  day  I was  in  com- 


318 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


mand  of  a line  of  skirmishers  deployed  on  one  of  the 
flanks,  in  front  of  some  woods,  near  by.  A second 
line  was  posted  about  forty  rods  behind  us  just  inside 
the  woods,  and  we  had  orders  to  hold  the  position  at 
all  hazards.  From  mid-day  until  sunset  our  boys 
gallantly  obeyed  the  command,  firmly  maintaining 
their  ground  against  all  assaults. 

At  one  time  during  this  sharp  cavalry  engagement 
a solid  shot  came  flying  down  the  road  just  where 
Davies  and  his  staff  had  halted — their  position  being 
directly  in  range  of  a section  of  the  enemy’s  artil- 
lery. The  concussion  of  the  ball  nearly  threw  the 
general’s  horse  off  his  feet,  but  Davies  maintained 
an  exterior  as  calm  and  undisturbed  as  though  can- 
non balls  whizzing  by  were  the  most  natural  occur- 
rences of  life. 

The  fight  at  James  City  was  the  inaugural  engage- 
ment, as  Bristoe  was  the  closing  scene  in  the  retreat 
of  Meade  and  the  advance  of  Lee  towards  Washing- 
ton. On  the  morning  of  the  eleventh,  the  retreat  of 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  towards  the  Rappahannock 
was  continued,  the  enemy  following  in  close  pursuit 
and  keeping  up  constant  skirmishing.  At  Culpepper 
the  corps  separated,  Gregg  taking  the  road  to  Sul- 
phur Springs  and  Buford  moving  in  the  direction  of 
Stevensburg,  while  Kilpatrick  marched  on  the  main 
thoroughfare,  along  the  railroad.  After  leaving  Cul- 
pepper, Hampton’s  cavalry  made  a fierce  attack  on 
the  rear-guard  of  Kilpatrick,  but  were  repelled  by 
our  forces  without  interrupting  the  order  of  retreat, 
until  opposite  the  residence  of  John  Miner  Botts, 
when  a few  regiments  wheeling  about,  dashed  upon 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION'. 


319 


the  Confederates  in  a handsome  saber-charge,  giving 
them  an  unexpected  repulse.  Arrived  at  Brandy 
Station,  Kilpatrick  found  himself  environed  by  combi- 
nations which  threatened  his  destruction,  but  with 
the  genius  of  a master,  he  cut  the  gordian  knot  ol 
difficulties  and  increased  his  already  glorious  fame  by 
the  brilliant  generalship  displayed  on  this  famous 
battle-ground. 

On  the  evening  of  the  thirteenth  while  bivouacking 
near  Bealeton  Station,  an  ammunition  wagon  took 
fire  and  caused  a wide-spread  alarm  within  the  camp, 
sending  its  exploding  shells  and  flying  shot  in  every 
direction.  Supposing  the  enemy  to  be  upon  us  in 
force,  every  man  rushed  to  his  post  ready  for  duty, 
but  was  relieved  to  find  the  supposed  attack  a false 
alarm. 

During  this  retreat,  Stuart,  closely  following  the 
Union  rear,  was  actively  engaged  in  harrassing  our 
troops  and  committing  all  the  depredations  in  his 
power.  When  near  Catlett’s  Station,  by  a flank 
movement,  he  inadvertently  got  ahead  of  our  Second 
Corps  under  General  Warren,  and  was  completely 
hemmed  in  between  the  Union  troops. 

Long  lines  of  infantry,  cavalry,  and  artillery  swept 
by  on  both  sides  of  him  and  his  only  resource  was  to 
conceal  his  force  in  the  pine  thickets  near  by  and 
await  in  silence  the  passage  of  the  Union  army.  Ac- 
cordingly, under  cover  of  night  he  entered  the  thicket 
and  orders  were  issued  that  “ no  sound  should  be  ut- 
tered throughout  the  command.” 

The  heavy  tramp  of  the  Union  infantry  and  the 
rumble  of  our  artillery  sounded  plainly  in  the  ears  of 


320 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


the  concealed  soldiers.  The  accidental  report  of  a 
fire-arm  would  have  disclosed  their  position  and  in 
view  of  the  overwhelming  force  of  the  enemy,  noth- 
ing awaited  them  but  destruction  or  surrender.  * * 

* Three  scouts  were  disguised  in  the  Federal  uni- 
form and  instructed  to  cross  the  enemy’s  line  of 
march,  report  the  situation  to  General  Lee,  and  re- 
quest him  to  attack  the  enemy’s  left  flank  at  the  next 
daybreak,  when  Stuart,  breaking  cover,  would  attack 
in  the  opposite  direction  and  complete  the  confusion. 
The  adventure  succeeded.  At  dawn  Rodes  opened  on 
the  enemy  as  suggested  ; and  Stuart,  hurling  the  thun- 
ders of  his  artillery  from  an  opposite  direction,  in  the 
very  pitch  of  the  confusion,  limbered  up  his  guns  and 
dashed  with  cavalry  and  artillery  through  the  hostile 
ranks,  giving  them  a complete  surprise  and  inflicting 
upon  them  a loss  of  several  hundred  in  killed  and 
wounded.” 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  fourteenth,  A.  P. 
Hill’s  corps  left  Warrenton,  with  orders  to  strike  our 
rear  at  Bristoe  Station  where  the  Second  Corps  under 
General  Warren  was  encamped  behind  the  railroad 
embankment. 

The  enemy  advanced  to  Broad  Run  Church,  on  the 
Alexandria  Turnpike,  and  deflecting  on  the  Green- 
wich road,  soon  after  struck  our  trail  just  behind  the 
Third  Corps.  Preparations  for  an  attack  occupied 
them  until  about  noon,  when  General  Warren’s  Sec- 
ond Corps,  bringing  up  the  Union  rear,  appeared 
upon  the  scene. 

Hill  then  discovered  the  mistake  into  which  his  own 
indiscretion  had  led  him.  Sandwitclied  between  the 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


321 


retreating  Third  Corps  and  the  advancing  Second,  he 
turned  upon  the  force  under  General  Warren,  hoping 
to  fight  his  way  out  of  the  difficulty  and  drive  back 
our  opposing  troops.  But  Warren,  though  surprised 
to  find  the  enemy  in  his  front,  quickly  comprehended 
the  situation  and  instantly  wheeled  his  batteries  into 
position  where  they  were  soon  blazing  havoc  into  the 
ranks  of  the  enemy.  The  telling  musketry  fire  of 
their  comrades  in  arms,  was  also  very  effective.  The 
fighting  was  sharp  and  bloody,  and  the  Confederates 
fell  back  terribly  repulsed,  leaving  multitudes  of  their 
dead,  wounded,  and  prisoners  in  our  hands.  Six  guns 
were  captured,  five  of  which,  still  serviceable,  were 
turned  against  the  enemy  with  great  effect.  “ Our 
loss  in  killed  and  wounded  was  about  two  hundred, 
including  Colonel  James  E.  Mallon,  Forty-second  New 
York,  killed,  and  General  Tile,  of  Pennsylvania, 
wounded  ; that  of  the  enemy  was  probably  four  hun- 
dred (besides  prisoners),  including  General  Posey 
(mortally),  Kirtland,  and  Cooke,  wounded,  and  Col- 
onels Ruffin,  First  North  Carolina,  and  Thompson, 
Fifth  North  Carolina  Cavalry,  killed.” 

The  battle  ofrBristoe  was  the  last  and  only  general 
engagement  that  grew  out  of  Lee’s  last  advance  north- 
ward, and  probably  decided  the  issue  of  the  campaign  ; 
for  the  severe  check  here  given  to  the  Confederate 
pursuit,  prevented,  it  may  be,  a raid  into  Maryland 
and  Pennsylvania.  Immediately  afterwards,  Lee  took 
up  his  retreat,  his  campaign  of  manoeuvres  having 
ended  disastrously  to  the  Confederate  cause.  His  at- 
tempt to  flank  our  army  and  get  between  Meade  and 
Washington  was  anticipated,  and  the  recoil  in  the  for- 


322 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 


tunes  of  the  South  which  began  at  Gettysburg  rolled 
steadily  on.  Bristoe  virtually  ended  the  campaign  of 
1863,  but  another  battle  known  sometimes  as  the 
“ Buckland  Races  ” occurred  soon  after,  which  was 
the  closing  action  of  the  year  and  which  vitally  af- 
fected my  career  as  a soldier.  The  strange  vicissi- 
tudes of  that  day  and  the  dark  chapter  it  opened  in 
my  life,  affecting  all  my  future,  are  events  which  will 
be  recounted  in  another  chapter. 


CHAPTER  XXXIT. 


2STE“Vvr  BALTIMORE. 

Kilpatrick’s  First  Defeat. — Stuart  Covers  the  Retreat  of  Lee. — En 
Route  for  Warren  ton. — Fitzhugh  Lee’s  Attack. — Charge  of  Stuart’s 
Cavalry. — Surrounded  on  All  Sides. — Kilpatrick’s  Generalship. — 
The  Desperate  Charge. — Holocaust  of  Death. — The  Author’s  Cap- 
ture.— In  Warrenton  Jail. — A Specimen  of  Southern  Chivalry. — 
Kilpatrick’s  Dinner  Interrupted. — Case  of  the  Campaign. 

IN  the  closing  engagement  of  the  campaign  of  1863, 
near  New  Baltimore,  General  Kilpatrick  suffered 
It  is  first  defeat. 

Overwhelmed  by  superior  numbers,  after  a sharp 
struggle  he  was  obliged  to  retire  to  Haymarket,  leav- 
ing the  attacking  cavalry  of  Stuarc  in  undisputed  pos- 
session of  the  field. 

After  the  Confederate  defeat  at  Bristoe,  where  the 
confident  advance  of  Lee’s  army  had  been  suddenly 
checked  and  his  legions  hurled  backward  in  retreat, 
the  rear  of  the  retiring  army  was  covered  by  Stuart’s 
cavalry,  which  fell  slowly  back  towards  Warrenton. 
The  Union  force  followed  in  that  direction  in  pursuit 
and  thus  gave  Lee  an  opportunity  for  a flank  attack 
at  Buckland.  On  the  night  of  the  eighteenth  of  Oc- 
tober, Kilpatrick’s  division,  consisting  of  the  brigades 
of  Custer  and  Davies,  bivouacked  near  Gainesville, 
posting  their  pickets  along  Cedar  Run. 


224  BATTLES  FOR  TIIE  UNION. 

We  reached  Gainesville  at  about  dark,  having  skir- 
mished all  day  with  the  enemy’s  cavalry,  who  had 
sharply  disputed  our  advance,  from  the  time  we  left 
Sudley  Church  in  the  morning  until  we  bivouacked 
at  nightfall.  The  firing  was  kept  up  until  a late  hour, 
— the  crack  of  carbines  and  pistols  breaking  the  still- 
ness of  the  night  air  along  Warrenton  turnpike,  and 
lighting  the  darkness  with  fitful  flashes.  During  the 
night,  our  regiment  was  drawn  up  in  column  of  squad- 
rons, ready  for  action  at  a moment’s  notice,  and  we 
were  ordered  to  “ Stand  to  horse.” 

A little  after  dawn  the  next  morning  the  order  to 
advance  was  given,  and  breaking  camp,  we  were  soon 
en  route  for  Warrenton.  Stuart’s  cavalry,  in  our  im- 
mediate front,  retired  slowly  before  us,  skirmishing  as 
they  fell  back.  The  Harris  Light,  marching  in  col- 
umn of  platoons,  led  the  van.  Just  after  we  had 
passed  New  Baltimore,  on  the  Warrenton  pike,  we 
were  startled  by  a sudden  thunder  of  artillery  which 
shook  the  air,  and  to  our  dismay  we  discovered  that 
Fitzhugh  Lee  was  making  a furious  attack  on  our  rear- 
guard at  Buckland  Mills.  A storm  of  shot  and  shell 
from  the  enemy’s  batteries  swept  our  ranks,  and  at  the 
same  instant  Stuart,  in  our  front,  wheeled  about  and 
charged  the  small  brigades  of  Kilpatrick  with  wild  fury. 
The  onset  was  terrible  and  we  were  taken  completely 
by  surprise.  Lee  and  his  cavalry  had  been  sent  by  a 
circuitous  route  with  the  design  of  falling  upon  our 
rear,  and  having  come  upon  a small  detachment  of 
Union  infantry  at  Thoroughfare  Gap,  he  had  cut  his 
Avay  through  their  lines  and  advanced  by  an  unpick- 
eted road  upon  our  troops.  Here  by  a preconcerted 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION.  325 

movement  with  Stuart,  he  begun  the  attack.  Almost 
at  the  same  moment,  General  Gordon,  in  command  of 
a third  division  of  cavalry,  emerged  from  the  woods 
on  our  left,  and  made  an  attack  on  the  Union  flank 
with  determined  fury.  A less  skillful  commander  than 
Kilpatrick,  would  have  been  overwhelmed  by  a crisis 
so  unlooked-for  and  portentious.  Surrounded  on  all 
sides  by  the  swarming  hordes  of  the  enemy,  and  as- 
saulted in  front,  flank  and  rear,  by  a force  greatly  out- 
numbering our  own,  certain  destruction  seemed  to 
await  us.  It  was  a moment  in  which  decisive  action 
was  imperative  to  save  the  command  from  utter  annihi- 
lation. But  Kilpatrick,  with  the  genius  of  a master 
mind,  rose  to  the  exigencies  of  the  hour,  and  led  his 
men  out  of  the  trap  about  to  spring  upon  them  and 
seal  their  fate.  Though  unable  to  turn  defeat  into 
victory  in  the  face  of  such  terrible  odds,  he  yet  man- 
aged to  extricate  himself  and  them  from  the  difficult 
environments  of  his  situation.  Quickly  his  plans  were 
formed,  and  the  order  “ Platoons  right  about  wheel ! ’ 
rung  down  the  column.  It  was  followed  in  an  instant 
afterwards  by  the  command,  “ gallop  ! march  ! ” and 
at  the  head  of  his  small  brigades,  he  made  a desper- 
ate charge  upon  the  cavalry  and  artillery  of  Fitzhugh 
Lee,  arrayed  in  line  of  battle  along  the  banks  of  Ce- 
dar Run.  Our  boys  obeyed  the  voice  of  their  chief, 
with  unflinching  determination,  as  their  desperate  on- 
^et  proved : but  the  three  hundred  slain  left  on  the 
field,  showed  at  what  a cost  the  charge  was  made.  It 
was  a bloody  alternative,  but  the  command  was  saved 
and  their  road  to  escape  made  clear. 

When  we  were  in  pursuit  of  the  retreating  foe,  the 
14 


326 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


Harris  Light  Cavalry,  had  the  advance,  but  by  a sud- 
den evolution  of  the  regiment  during  the  fight,  we 
were  thrown  in  the  rear  and  compelled  to  defend  our- 
selves as  best  we  could  from  an  attack  on  the  flank . 
Reaching  a slight  elevation  in  the  road,  we  made  a 
stand  and  succeeded  in  holding  the  enemy  in  check 
for  some  time,  by  the  deadly  volleys  from  our  carbines 
and  pistols.  Stuart,  who  was  commanding  the  Con- 
federate force  in  person,  ordered  an  assault  on  our 
position  and  charged  upon  us  amid  wild  yells  with  an 
entire  division.  A furious  hand-to-hand  conflict  en- 
sued which  made  the  battle  field  a scene  of  confusion 
and  distress.  Numbers,  it  is  said,  were  drowned  in 
Cedar  Run  while  endeavoring  to  effect  their  escape. 
At  this  crisis  of  affairs,  a fatal  bullet  pierced  my  horse 
and  we  fell  to  the  ground,  trampled  by  the  charging 
squadrons  of  the  foe.  For  some  time  I lay  in  the 
mud,  lost  to  all  consciousness,  while  the  roar  of  battle 
surged  around  me  unheeded.  Meantime,  our  brave 
troops,  overpowered  in  the  unequal  contest,  were  forced 
to  fall  back,  leaving  their  wounded  and  dead  on  the 
field.  How  long  I lay  insensible  under  the  feet  of 
the  trampling  horsemen,  I do  not  know,  but  when  I 
awoke  to  consciousness,  I found  myself  in  the  hands  of 
a Rebel  guard  who  were  hastily  carrying  me  from  the 
scene  of  action.  Thus  began  the  first  chapter  in  the 
record  of  my  long  captivity.  On  the  night  of  that 
fatal  day  of  October  nineteenth,  we  slept  in  Warren- 
ton  Jail  and  at  daybreak  the  next  morning  started  for 
Culpepper.  During  our  first  night’s  incarceration, 
most  of  the  prisoners  were  robbed  of  their  clothing 
and  valuables  by  the  guard — everything  of  the  slight- 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


327 


est  value  being  taken.  One  of  these  specimens  of 
Southern  chivalry  preferred  the  modest  request  for  my 
entire  wardrobe.  His  language  Avas  a trifle  short  of 
classic  elegance  as  he  told  me  to  “ come  out  of  thatar 

hat  and  overcoat,  and  them  ar  boots  too,  you  d d 

blue  jacket ! ” 

In  looking  over  my  career  as  a soldier,  I can  see 
how  vitally  this  day  of  capture  affected  my  whole  after 
life.  Like  the  springs  on  high  mountain  ranges  where 
a slight  change  of  conformation  decides  whether  their 
clear  waters  shall  flow  to  the  east  or  the  west,  so  there 
are  hours  in  the  history  of  most  men  whose  events, 
however  slight,  decide  the  direction  of  all  their  after 
lives.  Out  of  the  experience  of  which  this  day  was 
the  opening  page,  grew  my  first  book,  “ Beyond  the 
Lines,”  and  “ Soldiers  of  the  Saddle,” — a record  of 
three  years  of  cavalry  life  in  the  Union  service — fol- 
lowed in  natural  sequence. 

Just  before  the  cavalry  action  of  New  Baltimore 
began,  Kilpatrick  had  stopped  at  the  house  of  a citi- 
zen near  Gainesville  to  whom  he  declared  that  “Stuart 
had  been  boasting  of  driving  him  from  Culpepper,  but 
now  he  was  going  to  drive  Stuart.”  General  Kilpat- 
rick, on  that  day,  is  described  as  having  been  as  “ fu- 
rious as  a wild  boar.”  He  was  about  to  sit  doAvn  to 
a well-cooked  dinner  when  the  sound  of  artillery  from 
the  direction  of  Buckland  Mills,  announced  the  tumult 
of  coming  battle.  Kilpatrick  sprang  to  his  feet,  threw 
himself  into  the  saddle  and  almost  immediately  was 
galloping  away  like  the  wind,  to  lead  his  command. 
But  the  disastrous  denouement  of  the  battle  dispersed 
his  division  and  sent  his  men  flying  for  dear  life.  The 


328 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


General’s  race-horse  ‘ Lively,’  a thorough-bred  mare, 
flew  the  track  on  this  occasion,  and  fell  into  the 
hands  of  Moseby. 

After  the  action  of  New  Baltimore,  Lee  and  his 
army  resumed  their  march  southward,  and  General 
Meade  commenced  a forward  movement  from  the  line 
of  Cedar  Bun  to  the  line  of  the  Rappahannock.  In 
November,  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  located 
along  the  Upper  Rappahannock,  and  the  enemy  occu- 
pied the  south  side  of  the  Rapidan.  Here  both  armies 
fortified  their  respective  positions  and  active  opera- 
tions were  suspended  for  the  remainder  of  the  year. 


CHAPTER  X XX Y. 

PORT  IF1  I S ZE3I  El  UR-  - 

Outer  Defences  of  Wilmington. — Blockade-running. — Admiral  Por- 
ter’s Expedition. — Rough  Weather. — The  Attack. — The  'lorpedo 
Vessel. — The  First  Day’s  Bombardment. — Beconnoissance. — 
Strength  of  the  Fort. — Return  to  Hampton  Roads. — Renewed 
Preparations. — Attack  of  the  Second  Expedition. — Bivouac  Fires. — 
Terrible  Bombardment. — Desperate  Assault  of  Union  Troops. — 
They  Effect  a Lodgment. — The  Attack  goes  on. — The  Last  Trenches 
Cleared. — Fort  Fisher  Ours. — Valor  of  Colored  Troops. — Spoils  of 
Victory. 

AT  the  southernmost  extremity  of  a narrow  neck 
of  land  branching  out  from  the  North  Carolina 
coast,  and  separating  Cape  Fear  river  from  the  tu- 
multuous waters  of  the  wide  Atlantic,  stands  Fort 
Fisher,  grimly  guarding  the  approach  to  Wilmington 
twenty  miles  to  the  northward,  up  the  river. 

During  the  year  of  1863,  Wilmington  was  the 
great  center  of  blockade-running,  and  owing  to  the 
vast  difficulties  of  enforcing  the  blockade,  the  port 
had  defied  all  effort  to  abridge  its  privileges,  and  in 
consequence  an  extensive  trade  was  carried  on  be- 
tween Wilmington  and  foreign  ports. 

Early  in  August,  1863,  a joint  naval  and  military 
expedition  under  Admiral  Porter  was  organized  with 
the  avowed  purpose  of  closing  this  port  by  capturing 
its  outer  defences.  The  squadron,  however,  did  not 


330 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 


start  on  its  hazardous  enterprise  until  December 
twelfth,  owing  to  the  difficulties  of  obtaining  a suffi- 
ciently large  co-operating  land  force  to  insure  success. 
Leaving  Hampton  Roads,  where  they  had  remained 
since  August,  the  squadron,  numbering  seventy-five 
vessels  all  told,  sailed  for  their  destination,  having  on 
board  a land  force  of  six  and  a half  thousand  men 
under  General  Butler.  The  fleet  arrived  off  Wil- 
mington on  December  fifteenth,  but  owing  to  rough 
weather,  the  vessels  were  unable  to  get  into  position 
to  land  the  troops  or  to  make  an  attack  until  noon  of 
the  twenty-fourth,  when  a furious  fire  was  opened 
upon  Fort  Fisher.  The  storm  of  shot  dropped  at  the 
rate  of  thirty  per  minute  and  continued  until  night. 

On  the  day  previous  to  the  attack,  a torpedo  vessel, 
disguised  as  a blockade-runner,  was  towed  to  a point 
within  four  hundred  yards  of  Fort  Fisher,  and  two 
hundred  yards  of  the  beach,  where  she  was  securely 
anchored  while  preparations  were  made  to  blow  her 
up. 

She  had  on  board  an  amount  of  powder  supposed 
to  be  sufficient  to  explode  the  magazine  of  the  fort. 
The  enemy  were  completely  deceived  as  to  the  char- 
acter of  the  vessel,  believing  her  to  be  a blockade- 
runner,  and  in  consequence  giving  the  signals  custo- 
mary with  "that  class  of  craft.  The  party  under  Com- 
mander Rhind  in  charge  of  the  torpedo  vessel,  set 
her  on  fire  under  the  cabin  and  then  getting  into 
their  boats,  made  good  their  escape  to  the  Wilder- 
ness,— one  of  the  boats  belonging  to  the  fleet.  As 
soon  as  the  torpedo  party  were  on  board,  the  Wilder- 
ness put  out  towards  sea,  to  avoid  the  explosion. 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION.  33p 

“ At  forty-five  minutes  past  one  o’clock  on  the 
morning  of  the  twenty-fourth,  the  explosion  took 
plaee,  but  the  shock  was  nothing  like  so  severe  as 
was  expected.  It  shook  the  vessel  somewhat  and 
broke  one  or  two  glasses,  but  nothing  more.” 

As  the  morning  of  the  twenty-fourth  dawned,  the 
fleet  got  under  way  and  was  soon  arrayed  in  battle 
line  ready  to  make  a grand  attack  on  the  almost  im- 
pregnable walls  of  Fort  Fisher. 

At  half-past  eleven  o’clock,  the  ship  Ironsides  be- 
gun the  assault,  the  rest  of  the  fleet  following  in  suc- 
cession and  opening  fire  as  soon  as  their  guns  were 
brought  within  range  of  the  fort.  The  enemy 
were  driven  to  their  casemates  by  the  iron  hail, 
and  for  five  long  hours  the  terrible  storm  continued 
without  intermission.  But  it  was  without  result.  The 
transports  did  not  arrive  off  Wilmington  until  the 
twenty-fifth,  having  been  delayed  on  the  way  by  a 
storm  which  obliged  them  to  put  into  Beaufort.  A 
fresh  attack  was  then  ordered,  under  cover  of  which 
a force  of  three  thousand  men,  General  Weitzel  com- 
manding, was  landed  at  a point  five  miles  east  of  the 
fleet.  General  Weitzel  made  a reconnoissance  and 
reported  that  an  assault  at  that  time  would  be  butch- 
ery. As  General  Butler  was  of  the  same  opinion, 
the  troops  were  ordered  to  re-embark  and  the  trans- 
ports returned  to  Hampton  Roads.  General  Butler, 
in  a letter  to  Admiral  Porter,  written  on  the  twenty- 
fifth,  says  that  the  strip  of  land  up  which  the  attack- 
ing party  would  be  obliged  to  pass  in  order  to  assault 
the  fort,  was  not  wide  enough  for  more  than  a thous- 
and men  in  line  of  battle.  Flag  Pond  Hill  Battery 


332  BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 

and  its  garrison  of  sixty-five  men  and  two  commis- 
sioned officers  were  captured,  as  was  also  Half  Moon 
Battery,  including  its  force  of  seven  officers  and  two 
hundred  and  eighteen  men  of  the  Third  North  Carolina 
Junior  Reserves.  General  Butler  in  the  letter  men- 
tioned, says  : — “ General  Weitzel  advanced  his  skir- 
mish line  within  fifty  yards  of  the  fort,  while  tire  gar- 
rison was  kept  in  their  bomb-proof  by  the  fire  of  the 
navy,  and  so  closely  that  three  or  four  men  of  the 
picket  line  ventured  upon  the  parapet  and  through 
the  sally-port  of  the  work,  capturing  a horse  which 
they  brought  off,  killing  the  orderly  who  was  the 
bearer  of  a dispatch  from  the  chief  of  artillery  of 
General  Whiting,  to  bring  a light  battery  within  the 
fort,  and  also  brought  away  from  the  parapet  the  flag 
of  the  fort. 

“ This  was  done  while  the  shells  of  the  navy  were 
falling  about  the  heads  of  the  daring  men  who  entered 
the  work,  and  it  was  evident  as  soon  as  the  fire  of 
the  navy  ceased  because  of  the  darkness,  that  the  fort 
was  fully  manned  again,  and  opened  with  grape  and 
canister  upon  our  picket  line. 

“ Finding  that  nothing  but  the  operations  of  a reg- 
ular siege,  which  did  not  come  within  my  instructions, 
would  reduce  the  fort,  and  in  view  of  the  threatening 
aspect  of  the  weather,  wind  arising  from  the  south- 
east, rendering  it  impossible  to  make  further  landing 
through  the  surf,  I caused  the  troops  with  their  pris- 
oners to  re-embark,  and  see  nothing  further  that  can 
be  done  by  tlie  land  forces.” 

Some  idea  of  the  strength  of  the  fort  may  be  ob- 
tained from  the  fact  that  during  one  of  the  most  ter- 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION.  333 

rific  bombardments  of  modern  warfare,  the  fort  re- 
mained uninjured. 

A Richmond  paper  in  an  issue  of  the  time  says : — 
“ General  Bragg  has  issued  a congratulatory  order  on 
the  defeat  of  the  enemy’s  grand  armada  before  Wil- 
mington, paying  a merited  compliment  to  Generals 
Whiting  and  Kirkland,  Colonel  Lamb,  and  the  offi- 
cers and  men  engaged.  The  enemy’s  attack  on  the 
first  day  lasted  five  hours  ; on  the  second  day,  seven 
hours, — firing  altogether  over  twenty  thousand  shots 
from  fifty  kinds  of  vessels.  The  Confederates  re- 
sponded with  six  hundred  and  sixty-two  shots  on  the 
first  day  and  six  hundred  on  the  second.  Our  loss  is 
three  killed  and  fifty-five  wounded.  The  ground  in 
front  and  rear  of  the  fort  is  covered  with  shells  and 
is  torn  in  deep  pits.  Two  guns  in  the  fort  burst,  two 
were  dismounted  by  ourselves  and  two  by  the  enemy’s 
fire,  yet  the  fort  is  unhurt.” 

But  the  effort  to  take  Fort  Fisher  was  not  allowed 
to  remain  a failure.  The  returning  troops  were 
reenforced  at  Fortress  Monroe,  and  immediate  prepa- 
rations were  made  for  a renewed  attack.  General 
Terry  succeeded  General  Butler  in  command  of  this 
second  expedition,  which  comprised  a land  force  of 
over  eight  thousand  men,  including  a division  of 
colored  corps — the  Twenty-fifth — and  the  batteries  of 
Lee  and  Myrick.  The  troops  embarked  on  board 
government  transports  and  left  Fortress  Monroe  on 
the  sixth  of  January,  1864,  to  cooperate  with  Por- 
ter's fleet  off  Beaufort.  Owing  to  wind  and  weather, 
the  combined  movement  was  delayed  and  the  fleet  did 
not  reach  the  Wilmington  coast  until  the  thirteenth. 

14* 


334 


BA  TTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


On  that  day,  this  formidable  armada,  arranged  in 
five  divisions,  moved  upon  the  grim  and  threatening 
works  of  Fort  Fisher. 

At  seven  and  a half  o’clock  in  the  morning,  a line 
of  ironclads,  headed  by  a vessel  named  the  New 
Ironsides,  moved  up  directly  in  front  of  Fort  Fisher, 
taking  a position  one  thousand  yards  distant.  The 
guns  of  the  fort  opened  on  them  as  they  approached, 
but  the  iron  fleet  did  not  return  the  enemy’s  fire  until 
an  hour  afterwards.  At  nine  o’clock  the  troops  were 
landed — some  of  the  men  in  their  eagerness  jumping 
into  the  water,  waist  deep.  A skirmish  line  was 
immediately  pushed  out  and  the  entire  attacking 
force  was  ashore  by  three  o’clock  in  the  afternoon, 
at  which  time  they  took  possession  of  Half  Moon 
Battery.  Very  soon,  the  force  advanced  along  the 
beach  towards  Fort  Fisher,  pausing  at  dusk  out  of 
range  of  the  enemy’s  guns  to  wait  until  they  could 
go  forward  under  cover  of  the  darkness.  At  ten 
o’clock,  the  bivouac  fires  of  the  attacking  force  shone 
through  the  darkness,  two  miles  distant  from  the 
fort,  where  our  troops  were  encamped,  covered  by  a 
kind  of  lagoon  extending  between  their  right  flank 
and  the  woods  beyond.  The  gunboats  of  the  enemy 
shelled  our  lines  at  this  point  from  Cape  Fear  river. 
During  the  night  of  the  thirteenth,  the  fort  was 
strengthened  and  the  enemy  reenforced.  The  next 
day  our  troops  constructed  a line  of  breastworks 
between  Cape  Fear  river  and  the  sea,  and  on  the 
fifteenth,  at  daybreak,  the  attack  commenced.  The 
Brooklyn  and  the  eleven-inch  gunboats — all  of  them 
iron  clads — opened  the  bombardment  with  a terrible 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


335 


fire.  Under  cover  of  this  cannonading,  the  division 
of  Ames,  drawn  np  to  assault  the  west  end  of  the 
fort,  were  marched  up  to  within  one  hundred  and 
fifty  yards  of  the  point  of  attack.  Abbott’s  brigade 
occupied  the  intrenchments  facing  Wilmington  in 
opposition  to  a force  five  thousand  strong,  under 
Hoke,  which  threatened  our  troops  in  that  direction. 
“ A column  of  fourteen  hundred  sailors  and  marines, 
under  Captain  Bresse,  was  detailed  from  the  fleet  to 
assault  the  sea  front,  which  had  been  so  terribly 
demolished  by  the  bombardment  that  it  was  thought 
a lodgment  might  be  effected  there  more  easily.” 
At  ten  o’clock  a terrific  cannonade  from  the  entire 
fleet  was  opened  on  the  fort,  which  lasted  until  three 
o’clock  in  the  afternoon  almost  without  intermission. 
At  that  time  the  ships  changed  the  direction  of  their 
fire  from  the  path  of  the  charging  columns  to  other 
works,  and  a half  hour  later  a desperate  assault  was 
made  on  the  sea  front.  The  brave  besiegers  gained 
the  parapet,  but  were  subsequently  repulsed  and 
driven  back  in  disorder. 

When  the  column  was  re-formed  it  was  sent  to 
the  intrenchments  facing  Wilmington,  and  Abbott’s 
brigade  joined  the  forces  of  Ames.  This  attack, 
though  unsuccessful,  diverted  the  enemy’s  attention 
from  the  main  storming  party  and  aided  in  the 
results  of  the  day. 

The  men  of  the  old  Tenth  Corps,  three  or  four 
thousand  strong,  constituted  principally  the  attacking 
party,  and  at  the  word  of  command  they  gallantly 
charged  the  enemy’s  works.  A force  of  twenty-two 
hundred  garrisoned  the  fort. 


336 


BATTLES  FUR  TEE  UNION. 


Colonel  Curtis  led  our  troops  in  a headlong  charge 
and  succeeded  in  effecting  a lodgment  on  the  west 
end  of  the  land  front.  The  brigades  of  Pennypacker 
and  Bell  immediately  followed,  and  at  five  o’clock  in 
the  afternoon,  after  contesting  every  inch  of  ground 
with  the  most  desperate  fighting  and  the  severest 
loss,  our  troops  gained  possession  of  about  one-half 
of  the  land  front ; after  which  Abbott  came  up  from 
the  defensive  line,  and  the  attack  went  on.  At  ten 
o’clock  the  last  trenches  of  the  enemy  were  cleared, 
and  Port  Fisher  was  ours.  The  fighting  lasted  six 
and  a half  hours,  and  a more  splendid  record  of  valor 
or  brilliant  action  than  was  displayed  in  this  assault 
can  rarely  be  found.  Curtis  was  severely  wounded 
while  leading  his  men  in  the  attack,  Bell  received  a 
mortal  hurt,  fighting  at  the  head  of  his  troops,  and 
Pennypacker  was  dangerously  injured.  At  midnight 
the  fort  was  surrendered  without  condition  into  our 
hands — the  force  inside  numbering  about  eighteen 
hundred,  under  command  of  General  Whitney  and 
Colonel  Lamb.  These  Confederate  officers  were  both 
wounded.  The  chain  ol  earthworks  surrounding 
Fort  Fisher  and  all  their  contents  fell  into  our  hands. 
Seventy-two  guns,  including  an  Armstrong,  the  camp 
and  garrison  equipage,  and  sixteen  days’  rations, 
were  of  the  spoil.  Besides  the  loss  of  the  garrison, 
of  whom  four  hundred  were  killed  and  wounded,  the 
enemy  also  suffered  the  loss  of  Cape  Fear  river  and 
its  facilities  for  blockade  running.  “ On  our  side, 
not  a ship  nor  a transport  was  lost,  and  but  little 
damage  was  done  to  the  fleet.”  Nine  hundred  in 
killed  and  wounded  of  the  land  force,  and  two 


BATTLES  FOR  TUE  UNION. 


337 


hundred  on  the  fleet,  comprised  our  loss  in  the 
engagement  of  men  and  officers.  By  some  misman- 
agement, the  magazine  of  the  fort  exploded,  killing 
three  hundred  of  the  garrison. 

The  capture  of  Fort  Fisher  was  a splendid  achieve- 
ment, and  its  importance  as  a strategic  point  of 
operations  could  hardly  be  over-estimated.  During  a 
period  of  nearly  two  years,  the  trade  carried  on  from 
Wilmington  with  foreign  ports,  despite  the  block- 
ade, amounted  in  the  aggregate  to  sixty-six  millions 
of  dollars, — an  item  which  contributed  largely  to 
the  resources  of  the  Confederates.  In  the  desperate 
assault  which,  after  long  continued  fighting,  con- 
quered the  works  of  Fort  Fisher,  the  colored  troops 
distinguished  themselves  by  their  unflinching  bravery. 

Thus,  another  stronghold  of  Rebellion  tottered  to 
its  fall,  and  the  port  of  Wilmington  was  once  more 
in  possession  of  the  Federal  Government. 


CHAPTER  XIXYI. 


OLUSTEE. 

Expedition  to  Florida. — Sailing  of  the  Fleet. — John  Hay. — Lincoln's 
Letter. — Objects  of  the  Expedition. — The  Camp  at  Jacksonville. — 
Seymonr’s  Sudden  Move. — Attempt  to  Checkmate  the  Enemy  at 
Olustee. — Hemmed  in  by  Swamps. — The  Fatal  Surprise. — Over- 
whelmed by  Superior  Numbers. — Decimated  Banks. — The  Battle 
Lost. — Seymour’s  Bravery. — Patten  Anderson. — Who  was  to  blame  ? 

TOWARDS  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1863,  an  expe- 
dition to  the  coast  of  Florida  was  determined  upon 
by  the  Federal  Government,  for  which  purpose  a portion 
of  Gilmore’s  fleet  in  Charleston  Harbor  was  assigned, 
and  in  January,  1864,  the  flotilla  was  under  way. 
Twenty  steamers  and  eight  schooners,  having  on  board 
a force  of  six  thousand  men  under  the  immediate  com- 
mand of  General  Truman  Seymour,  sailed  from  Hil- 
ton head  for  Jacksonville,  on  the  St.  John’s  river. 

President  Lincoln,  having  good  reason  to  suppose 
that  Florida  was  ready  to  return  to  her  allegiance  to 
the  Federal  Government,  sent  his  private  secretary 
John  Hay,  commissioned  as  Major,  with  the  expedi- 
tion, bearing  despatches  to  Gilmore  with  instructions 
to  inaugurate  measures  looking  towards  a speedy  res- 
toration of  Florida  to  the  Union.  In  his  letter,  he 
said  that  “ understanding  that  certain  persons  were 
endeavoring  to  construct  a legal  government  in  Florida 
and  that  Gilmore  might  possibly  be  there  in  person, 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION.  §39 

he  had  dispatched  Mr.  Hay,  one  of  his  private  secre- 
taries, to  aid  in  the  proposed  construction.  “ It  is 
desirable,”  he  said,  “for  all  to  co-operate;  but  if  ir- 
reconcilable differences  of  opinion  shall  arise,  you  are 
master.  I wish  the  thing  done  in  the  most  speedy 
way  possible,  so  that  when  done  it  will  be  within  the 
range  of  the  late  proclamation  on  the  subject.  The 
detail  labor  will  of  course  have  to  be  done  by  others, 
but  I shall  be  greatly  obliged  if  you  will  give  it.  such 
general  supervision  as  you  can  find  consistent  with 
your  more  strictly  military  duties.”  The  other 
avowed  objects  of  the  expedition  were  to  procure  an 
outlet  for  cotton,  lumber,  timber,  Ac.,  second,  to  cut 
off  the  enemy’s  sources  of  commissary  supplies,  Ac.,  and 
third,  to  obtain  recruits  for  colored  regiments. 

The  troops  embarked  on  February  sixth,  and  on  the 
seventh  reached  Jacksonville,  where  they  went  into 
camp. 

It  was  designed  to  make  Jacksonville  a base  of  sup- 
plies from  whence  to  advance  into  the  interior.  Ac- 
cordingly, on  the  night  of  the  eighth,  the  Union  cav- 
alry under  Colonel  Guy  Y.  Henry,  pushed  forward 
towards  Baldwin,  reaching  that  place  at  daybreak  on 
the  ninth.  During  the  night  they  had  passed  a Con- 
federate camp  and  captured  a battery  three  miles  in 
its  rear. 

At  Baldwin,  one  hundred  prisoners,  eight  pieces  of 
artillery  and  other  valuable  property  fell  into  our  hands. 
Gilmore,  after  going  to  Baldwin  and  superintending 
the  preliminaries  of  this  movement,  returned  to  Jack- 
sonville and  Hilton  Head,  leaving  Seymour  in  charge 
of  the  expedition.  Meantime,  Colonel  Henry  pushed 


340 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


on  to  Sanderson,  a point  forty  miles  distant,  seizing 
and  destroying  considerable  property  at  that  place. 
Near  Lake  City  the  enemy  was  discovered  to  be  in  too 
great  force  to  hazard  an  attack  by  the  command  of 
Colonel  Henry,  and  consequently  our  cavalry  “ fell 
back  five  miles,  bivouacked  in  a drenching  rain-storm 
and  telegraphed  to  Seymour  for  orders  and  food.”  A 
report  that  the  enemy,  under  General  Finnegan,  had 
fallen  back  from  Lake  City  that  night,  probably  induced 
Seymour  to  make  the  sudden  move  which  resulted  so 
disastrously  to  our  arms  at  Olustee.  On  the  fifteenth, 
Gilmore  was  startled  on  receiving  a letter  from  Sey- 
mour saying  that  he  proposed  to  make  an  advance  to 
theSuwanee  river — Lake  City  being  the  objective  point. 
Gilmore  at  once  dispatched  General  Turner  to  Jack- 
sonville with  orders  countermanding  this  mad  attempt : 
but  when  Turner  reached  his  destination,  the  Olustee 
blunder  was  already  being  enacted.  Seymour  had 
marched  his  force  of  five  thousand  men  out  of  Jack- 
sonville on  the  eighteenth,  and  the  next  day  he  reached 
Barber’s  Station,  on  the  Florida  Central  Railroad, 
about  thirty  miles  from  his  point  of  starting.  Receiv- 
ing information  at  this  place  which  led  him  to  believe 
that  he  would  be  able  to  defeat  the  enemy’s  plans  and 
that  great  strategic  advantages  could  be  secured  by  a 
rapid  advance  to  Lake  City,  he  resumed  his  advance 
on  the  morning  of  the  twentieth.  His  troops  passed 
through  Sanderson  without  halting  and  pushed  forward 
towards  Olustee,  nine  miles  beyond,  believing  the  en- 
emy to  be  at  that  station.  But  upon  arriving  within 
three  miles  of  Olustee,  the  head  of  the  Union  column 
unexpectedly  stumbled  into  the  trap  set  for  them,  just 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


341 


as  the  enemy  anticipated.  It  was  two  o’clock  in  the 
afternoon,  and  our  men,  after  a march  of  sixteen  miles 
over  difficult  roads,  were  faint  with  hunger  and  fatigue. 
At  the  point  of  attack  a long  cypress  swamp  confront- 
ed them,  through  which  the  railroad  passed,  “ while 
the  wagon  road,  making  a square  turn  to  the  right 
crossed  the  railroad  in  order  to  avoid  and  flank  the 
swamp.”  The  troops  of  the  enemy,  commanded  by 
General  Finnigan,  were  so  disposed  under  cover  of 
this  swamp  and  the  neighboring  pine  forest,  that  our 
men  stumbled  into  the  ambuscade  before  they  were 
aware  of  its  existence.  The  attack  was  sudden  and 
furious,  and  our  infantry,  hastily  forming  in  line  of 
battle,  returned  the  enemy’s  fire  at  great  disadvantage. 
The  Seventh  Connecticut  Infantry  under  Colonel  J.  R. 
Hawley,  and  the  Fortieth  Massachusetts  under  Col. 
Henry  had  the  advance  and  received  the  first  fire  of 
the  concealed  foe.  We  had  sixteen  pieces  of  artillery, 
but  its  position  was  in  such  close  proximity  to  the  woods 
within  which  the  Confederates  were  concealed,  that 
their  sharpshooters,  with  unerring  aim,  made  targets 
of  our  gunners  and  horses  with  terrible  results.  In 
twenty  minutes  after  the  action  began,  Hamilton’s 
battery  had  lost  forty  out  of  fifty  horses,  and  forty-five 
out  of  eighty-two  men.  The  Seventh  New  Hampshire 
was  ordered  up  in  support,  but  was  soon  demoralized. 
The  Eighth  United  States  colored  regiment  was  then 
advanced,  and  for  an  hour  and  a half  they  bravely 
held  their  position,  though  at  a loss  of  three  hundred 
and  fifty  of  its  men.  At  this  juncture  “ Colonel  Bar- 
ton led  his  brigade  consisting  of  the  Forty-eighth, 
Forty-ninth,  and  One-hundred-and-fifteenth  New  York 


342 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


into  the  hottest  front  of  the  battle.  Colonel  Sam- 
mons of  the  One-hundred-and-fifteenth,  was  among 
the  first  of  his  regiment  disabled  ; seven  of  its  cap- 
tains or  lieutenants  were  killed  or  wounded ; one  of 
its  companies  lost  thirty-two  out  of  fifty-nine  men. 
Six  captains  or  lieutenants  of  the  Forty-seventh  were 
killed  or  disabled  and  its  colonel  was  also  wounded.” 
The  column  on  our  left,  headed  by  the  Fifty-fourth 
Massachusetts  and  First  North  Carolina,  both  colored, 
entered  the  arena  of  conflict  “ just  in  time  to  stop  a 
Rebel  charge.”  They  were  overpowered  by  the  greatly 
superior  numbers  of  the  foe,  but  “ it  was  admitted  that 
these  two  regiments  saved  our  little  army  from  being 
“ routed.”  Their  charge  enabled  Seymour  to  re-form 
his  batteries  farther  to  the  rear,  and  a retreat  was  or- 
dered, which  was  covered  by  the  Seventh  Connecticut 
and  executed  in  good  order.  The  enemy  did  not  effect 
tively  pursue  us.  One  thousand  of  our  wounded  were 
brought  off  the  field,  but  a large  number  were  unavoid- 
ably left  to  the  consideration  of  the  enemy.  The  loss 
on  the  Confederate  side  was  stated  at  eighty  killed  and 
six  hundred  and  fifty  wounded.  Seymour  went  back 
to  Jacksonville  the  next  morning  and  thus  the  death 
blow  to  the  restoration  of  Florida  was  given,  for  that 
time  at  least.  During  the  battle,  Seymour,  who  was 
everywhere  present,  was  described  as  being  recklessly 
brave,  dashing  into  the  thickest  of  the  fight  and  doing 
what  he  could,  after  the  ambuscade  had  been  brought 
on,  to  avert  its  disastrous  consequences.  But  bravery 
alone  was  impotent  against  such  fearful  odds  and 
disadvantages  of  position. 

Too  late  the  affair  at  Olustee  was  discovered  to  be 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


343 


a mistake.  The  country  was  greatly  excited  over  it, 
and  Gilmore,  Seymour,  John  Hay,  and  the  President 
were  alternately  blamed  for  the  needless  slaughter. 
The  Seventh  New  Hampshire  and  a colored  regiment 
were  also  accused  of  being  responsible  for  the  loss  of 
the  battle. 

An  act  which  reflects  credit  on  the  Confederate 
General  Patten  Anderson,  in  connection  with  Olustee, 
should  not  go  unnoticed.  Soon  after  the  engagement 
he  sent  in  a complete  list  of  our  prisoners  and  wounded, 
in  his  hands,  with  a description  of  the  nature  of  the 
wounds  received,  of  both  black  and  white. 

After  the  dark  chapters  of  Fort  Wagner  and  Fort 
Pillow,  it  is  pleasant  to  chronicle  an  incident  like  this. 

Olustee  was  the  central  and  only  action  of  import- 
ance which  occurred  in  Florida  during  the  year  1864, 
or  from  thenceforward  until  the  close  of  the  war  of 
Rebellion. 

I enjoyed  a personal  acquaintance  with  General 
Seymour,  and  do  not  agree  with  those  who  believe  that 
he  was  incapable  of  directing  the  movements  of  an 
independent  force.  All  concede  to  him  a bravery 
verging  on  rashness,  but  I am  unable  to  see  that  the 
surprise  at  Olustee  proves  him  devoid  of  generalship. 
How  far  he  may  have  been  to  blame  in  taking  upon 
himself  the  responsibility  of  an  advance,  I do  not 
know,  as  some  writers  claim  that  the  presence  of 
John  Hay  may  have  had  something  to  do  with  the 
movement  and  with  running  counter  to  Gilmore’s 
orders.  But  I am  unwilling  to  play  the  part  of  de- 
tractor to  a noble  officer  who  fearlessly  faced  death 
for  country’s  sake,  inciting  his  men  to  brave  endeavor, 


344 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


and  displaying  every  quality  which  could  win  the  ad- 
miration of  a soldier. 

Let  the  laurel  wreath  of  glory  which  the  heart  ever 
accords  to  valor  and  patriotism,  rest  undisturbed  upon 
the  name  of  one  whose  daring,  at  least,  remains  un- 
assailed. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 


IF1  O 3FL  T PILiLOW. 

One  of  the  Outgrowths  of  Slavery. — The  Negro  Soldiery. — Con- 
federate Law. — The  Black  Flag. — Location  of  Fort  Pillow. — 
Forrest  Before  the  Defences. — Severe  Fighting. — No  Surren- 
der.— Flags  of  Truce. — Treachery. — Surprise  of  the  Fort. — 
Overwhelmed  by  the  Enemy. — The  Butchery  Commenced. — 
Horrible  Scenes. — The  Inhumanity  of  Man. — Influence  of 
Slavery. 

THE  massacre  of  Fort  Pillow  was  one  of  the  legiti- 
mate outgrowths  of  the  institution  of  negro  slave- 
ry, and  the  savage  butcheries  there  perpetrated  under 
the  folds  of  the  “ black  flag/’  disgrace  the  records  of 
human  civilization  and  stain  the  page  of  history. 
The  soldiers  who  fought  in  defence  of  liberty  at  Fort 
Pillow  were  black  soldiers,  and  that  was  their  offence. 
The  Confederacy,  with  strange  inconsistency,  while 
employing  slaves  for  its  own  belligerent  purposes, 
passed  a law  that  if  they  were  so  employed  by  Union 
officers,  no  quarter  might  be  expected,  and  that  noth- 
ing less  than  extermination  would  be  the  fate  meted 
out  to  them.  The  law  referred  to,  found  a place  on 
their  statute  books  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  1863, 
and  contained  the  following  clause  : — “ Every  white 
person,  being  a commissioned  officer,  or  acting  as  such, 
who,  during  the  present  war,  shall  command  negroes 
or  mulattoes  in  arms  against  the  Confederate  States, 


346  BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 

shall,  if  captured,  be  put  to  death , or  otherwise  pun- 
ished, at  the  discretion  of  the  court.”  But  there  was 
not  found  in.  the  Confederacy  an  officer  of  any  note, 
with  qualities  sufficiently  fiendish  to  permit  the  “ black 
flag”  dispensation  to  be  carried  into  effect,  until  For- 
rest appeared  before  Fort  Pillow,  and  there,  by  his 
cold-blooded  atrocities,  covered  his  name  with  eternal 
infamy.  Overlooking  the  surrounding  country  from 
a high  and  nearly  inaccessible  bluff  on  the  Mississippi 
river,  at  a distance  of  about  forty  miles  above  Mem- 
phis, in  Tennessee,  stood  the  historic  fort, — a work  of 
moderate  size,  and  mounting  only  six  guns.  In  the 
early  part  of  the  last  year  of  the  war,  the  place  was 
gan’isoned  by  a force  under  Major  L.  F.  Booth,  num- 
bering five  hundred  and  fifty-seven  men,  two  hundred 
and  sixty-two  of  whom  were  colored  troops  belonging 
to  the  Sixth  United  States  Heavy  Artillery.  The 
other  battalion  under  Major  Bradford,  of  the  Thir- 
teenth Tennessee  Cavalry,  was  white. 

On  April  twelfth,  1864,  this  fortress  was  wrested 
from  the  United  States  forces  there  garrisoned,  by  an 
act  of  treachery,  under  the  leadership  of  Forrest,  un- 
paralleled during  all  the  four  years  of  fighting  to  which 
the  Rebellion  gave  birth.  The  battle  commenced  at 
daybreak,  when  a furious  assault  on  our  troops  was 
made  by  the  enemy. 

The  Union  forces  fought  at  first  in  the  outer  de- 
fences, and  for  hours  the  contest  raged  with  sharp 
severity.  At  nine  o’clock  in  the  morning,  in  the 
thickest  of  the  fight,  Major  Booth  was  killed,  after 
which  Major  Bradford  withdrew  his  men  to  the  inner 
fort,  where  from  that  time  until  three  o’clock  in  the 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION 


347 


afternoon  they  bravely  defied  every  attempt  of  the 
enemy  to  dislodge  them.  Their  gallant  defence  was 
aided  by  the  gunboat  New  Era,  which  sent  a vigorous 
storm  of  shells  into  the  ranks  of  the  enemy. 

At  about  mid-afternoon,  under  a flag  of  truce,  For- 
rest sent  a demand  for  the  unconditional  surrender  of 
the  fort,  to  which  Bradford  replied,  asking  one  hour’s 
time  to  consider  the  proposal.  Very  soon,  Forrest, 
under  a second  flag  of  truce,  sent  the  message  that  if 
the  Union  troops  were  not  moved  from  the  fort  in 
twenty  minutes,  he  would  order  an  assault.  Major 
Bradford  replied  that  he  would  not  surrender.  While 
\ the  flag  of  truce  was  flying,  the  Confederates,  with 
unworthy  treachery,  gradually  crept  up  to  a position 
under  the  fort,  from  which  they  could  overwhelm  the 
garrison  by  a sudden  attack. 

Captain  Marshall  of  the  gun-boat,  refrained  from 
firing  in  order  not  to  give  an  excuse  for  subsequent 
atrocities  in  case  the  fort  should  be  captured  by  the 
enemy.  Immediately  after  the  second  flag  of  truce 
retired,  the  rebels  made  a rush  from  the  positions 
they  had  so  treacherously  gained,  and  obtained  pos- 
session of  the  fort,  raising  the  cry  of  “ no  quarter.” 
But  little  opportunity  was  allowed  for  resistance. 
Our  troops,  black  and  white,  threw  down  their  arms 
and  sought  to  escape  by  running  down  the  steep  bluff 
near  the  fort,  and  secreting  themselves  behind  trees 
and  logs  in  the  bushes  and  under  the  brush  ; some 
even  jumping  into  the  river  and  leaving  only  their 
heads  above  the  water  as  they  crouched  down  under 
the  bank.  Then  followed  a scene  of  cruelty  and  mur- 
der without  parallel  in  civilized  warfare,  which  needed 


348 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


but  the  tomahawk  and  scalping-knife  to  exceed  the 
worst  atrocities  ever  committed  by  savages. 

The  Rebels  commenced  an  indiscriminate  slaughter, 
sparing  neither  age  nor  sex,  white  nor  black,  soldier 
nor  civilian.  The  officers  and  men  seemed  to  vie 
with  each  other  in  the  devilish  work.  Men,  women, 
and  children  wherever  found,  were  deliberately  shot 
down,  beaten,  and  hacked  with  sabers.  Some  of  the 
children,  not  more  than  ten  years  old,  were  forced  to 
stand  up  and  face  their  murderers  while  being  shot. 
The  sick  and  wounded  were  butchered  without  mercy, 
the  rebels  even  entering  the  hospital  buildings  and 
dragging  them  out  to  be  shot,  or  killing  them  as  they 
lay  there  unable  to  offer  the  least  resistance.  All  over 
the  hillside  the  work  of  murder  was  going  on.  Num- 
bers of  our  men  were  collected  together  in  lines  or 
groups  and  deliberately  shot.  Some  were  shot  while 
in  the  river,  while  others  on  the  bank  were  shot  and 
their  bodies  kicked  into  the  water ; many  of  them  still 
living,  but  unable  to  make  exertions  to  save  them- 
selves from  drowning.  * * * * All  around  were 

heard  the  cries  of  “ No  quarter  ! No  quarter  !”  “ Kill 
the  damned  niggers!”  “Shoot  them  down!”  All 
who  asked  for  mercy  were  answered  by  the  most  cruel 
taunts  and  sneers.  Some  were  spared  for  a time  only 
to  be  murdered  under  circumstances  of  greater  cruelty. 
No  cruelty  which  the  most  fiendish  malignity  could 
devise,  was  omitted  by  these  murderers.  One  white 
soldier  who  was  wounded  in  the  leg  so  as  to  be  unable 
to  walk,  was  made  to  stand  up  while  his  tormentors 
shot  him.  One  negro,  who  had  been  ordered  by  a 
Rebel  officer  to  hold  his  horse,  was  killed  by  him  when 


BATTLES  FOB  THE  UNION.  349 

lie  remonstrated.  Another,  a mere  child,  whom  an 
officer  had  taken  up  behind  him  on  his  horse,  was  seen 
by  Chalmers,  who  at  once  ordered  him  to  put  the 
child  down  and  shoot  him,  which  was  done.  The 
huts  and  tents  in  which  many  of  the  wounded  had 
sought  shelter,  were  set  on  fire,  both  that  night  and 
the  next  morning  while  the  wounded  were  still  in 
them,  those  only  escaping  who  were  able  to  get  them- 
selves out,  or  who  could  prevail  on  others  less  injured 
to  help  them  out,  and  even  some  of  these  thus  seeking 
to  escape  the  flames,  were  met  by  these  ruffians,  and 
shot  down,  or  had  their  brains  beaten  out.  One  man 
was  deliberately  fastened  down  to  the  floor  of  a tent, 
face  upward,  by  means  of  nails  driven  through  his 
clothing  and  into  the  boards  under  him,  so  that  he 
could  not  possibly  escape,  and  then  the  tent  was  set 
on  fire.  Another  was  nailed  to  the  side  of  a building 
outside  of  the  fort  and  then  the  building  was  set  on 
fire  and  burned.  * * * * These  deeds  of  mur- 

der and  cruelty  closed  when  night  came  on,  only  to 
be  renewed  the  next  morning,  when  the  demons  care- 
fully sought  among  the  dead  lying  about  in  all  direc- 
tions, for  any  other  wounded  yet  alive,  and  those  they 
found  were  deliberately  shot.  * * * The  Rebels 

had  made  a pretence  of  burying  a great  number  of 
their  victims,  but  they  had  merely  thrown  them,  with- 
out the  least  regard  to  care  or  decency,  into  the 
trenches  and  ditches  about  the  fort,  or  the  little  hol- 
lows and  ravines  on  the  hillside,  covering  them  but 
partially  with  earth.  Portions  of  heads  and  faces, 
hands  and  feet  were  found  protruding  through  the 

earth  in  every  direction.”  And  so  the  sickening  re- 

15 


350 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


cital  goes  on.  A committee  of  investigation  who  vis- 
ited the  spot  two  weeks  afterwards,  reported  that  the 
ground  at  the  foot  of  the  bluff  where  most  of  the  mur- 
ders had  been  committed,  was  still  stained  with  the 
blood  of  the  slaughtered  soldiers,  although  heavy  rains 
had  fallen  in  the  meantime.  Major  Bradford,  in  com- 
mand of  the  fort,  who  up  to  the  moment  of  capture, 
was  uninjured,  was  brutally  murdered  the  day  after 
he  was  taken  prisoner.  Only  eternity  will  reveal  how 
many  of  our  troops  there  engaged,  fell  victims  to  the 
fiendish  inhumanity  of  Forrest,  in  like  manner.  “ The 
motive  for  the  murder  of  Major  Bradford  seems  to 
have  been  the  simple  fact  that,  although  a native  of 
the  South,  he  remained  loyal  to  his  Government.” 

Both  Forrest  and  his  superior,  Lieutenant-General 
S.  D.  Lee,  attempted  palliation  and  even  denial  of  the 
dark  deeds  of  this  day ; but  they  were  too  well  au- 
thenticated by  scores  of  unimpeachcd  witnesses,  some 
of  whom  were  shot  and  left  for  dead  long  after  the 
fighting  had  ceased,  and  who  testified  to  the  cold- 
blooded murders  committed.  The  murderers  declared 
that  they  shot  the  colored  troops  because  they  were 
“ niggers,”  and  the  whites  because  they  were  “fight- 
ing with  the  niggers.” 

Forrest,  giving  his  loss  at  twenty  killed  and  sixty 
wounded,  and  stating  that  he  buried  two  hundred  and 
twenty-eight  of  our  men  on  the  night  of  the  battle,  not 
reckoning  numbers  that  were  buried  next  day,  yet  had 
the  assurance  to  claim  that  this  number  was  killed  in 
fair  fight. 

Lee,  in  writing  a defence  of  the  case,  asserts,  in  the 
face  of  all  contradictory  evidence,  that  their  officers 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


351 


“ endeavored  to  prevent  the  effusion  of  blood.”  Only 
three  weeks  before  this,  Forrest  had  summoned  Pa- 
ducah in  unmistakable  terms,  closing  with  these 
words, — “If  you  surrender,  you  shall  be  treated  as 
prisoners  of  war ; but  if  I have  to  storm  your  works 
you  may  expect  no  quarter. 

After  the  capture  of  Fort  Pillow,  Forrest  made  a 
rapid  retreat  into  Mississippi  unmolested, — the  Union 
cavalry  force  at  hand  not  being  sufficiently  strong  to 
make  an  effective  pursuit. 

The  news  of  the  butchery  of  Fort  Pillow  sent  a 
thrill  of  horror  through  the  loyal  North,  and  the  out- 
raged sense  of  the  people,  finding  vent  in  bitter  de- 
nunciation, produced  a reactionary  effect  on  the  South. 

It  was  not  exactly  pleasant  for  a section  which 
boasted  so  much  chivalry  and  refinement,  to  be  cata- 
logued with  barbarians  or  held  up  to  the  view  of  the 
civilized  world  with  the  knife  in  one  hand  and  the  black 
flag  in  the  other.  It  perhaps  augured  a returning 
sense  of  justice  that  even  an  attempt  at  palliation  for 
the  wholesale  crime  should  be  made,  and  it  was  well 
for  the  reputation  of  our  country  that  this  terrible 
precedent  found  no  subsequent  parallel  in  the  history 
■of  our  civil  war. 

Little  by  little  the  gigantic  crime  of  American 
slavery,  to  whose  brutalizing  influence  the  dark  deeds 
of  Fort  Pillow  may  be  traced,  was  undermined  until 
at  last  its  doom  was  sealed  and  our  country  was  able 
to  make  her  claims  of  freedom  consistent  with  her 
acts. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 


OOLD  ZE3I  _A_  IFL  23  O 3FL  . 

Cold  Harbor  Tavern. — The  Historic  Cross  Roads. — Grant’s  Design  of 
Forcing  the  Chickahominy. — Disposition  of  Troops. — Preliminary 
Fighting. — The  Battle  Inaugurated  by  a Thunder  Storm. — The 
Grand  Attack. — Gallant  Dash  of  the  Second  Corps. — The  Posi- 
tion Gained  and  Lost. — Vantage-ground  of  the  Enemy. — Failure  of 
Grant’s  coup-de-main. — The  Heroic  Brigade  of  Colonel  McKean. — 
The  New  Thermopylae. — The  Enemy’s  Last  Attack. — The  Curtain 
Falls  on  Cold  Harbor. 

THE  neighborhood  of  the  Chickahominy  river,  first 
made  historic  by  McClellan  in  1862,  was  again 
baptized  with  the  blood  of  contending  armies  two 
years  later,  when  Grant  fought  the  battle  of  Cold 
Harbor  at  such  fearful  cost  of  life. 

An  old  inn,  known  as  Cold  Harbor,  standing  at  a 
junction  of  cross  roads  leading  out  of  Richmond,  gave 
its  name  to  the  contest  here  waged.  From  this  point 
the  traveler  may  go  to  Dispatch  Station  and  Bottom 
Bridge  on  the  south,  White  House  on  the  east,  Han- 
overtown  and  Newcastle  on  the  north,  and  Richmond, 
via  Gaines’  Mills  on  the  west.  At  this  point  in  the 
first  days  of  June,  1864,  Grant  determined  to  force 
the  Chickahominy,  which  constituted  the  outer  line 
of  defence  for  Richmond.  It  was  nearly  the  same 
spot  which  McClellan  had  occupied  two  years  before, 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION.  353 

when  the  renowned  swamps  south  of  the  river  were 
traversed  by  his  army. 

The  right  of  the  enemy’s  line  covered  the  Chicka- 
hominy  river  and  his  left  stretched  along  the  Virginia 
Central  Railroad,  holding  also  the  Cold  Harbor  road 
from  Atlee’s  Station  on  the  Fredericksburg  Railroad 
to  Gaines’  Mill. 

The  cavalry  of  the  enemy  extended  to  Hanover  on 
the  left  and  Bottom  Bridge  on  the  south.  This  was 
the  disposition  of  troops  on  Tuesday,  May  thirty- 
first,  three  days  previous  to  the  battle.  Skirmishing 
between  the  two  armies  was  kept  up  from  the  begin- 
ning of  the  week  until  Friday  when  the  engagement 
became  general. 

On  Tuesday,  Lee,  suspecting  Grant’s  intention  of 
concentrating  his  troops  on  the  left,  instituted  a series 
<of  manceuvers  for  position  which  brought  on  some 
Lively  skirmishing. 

Torbert’s  cavalry  was  sent  to  the  right,  to  Cold 
Harbor,  to  take  possession  of  the  eminences  in  that 
direction,  and  succeeded  in  holding  the  ground  after 
a sharp  fight. 

On  Tuesday  night  the  Sixth  Corps  marched  to  Cold 
Harbor  where  the  Eighteenth  Corps,  after  losing  its 
way,  joined  it  at  three  o’clock  in  the  afternoon  of 
June  first,  taking  position  on  the  right  of  the  Sixtli 
in  four  lines.  A field  of  ploughed  land  fronted  the 
two  corps,  beyond  which,  tlie  enemy  were  intrenched, 
covered  by  a pine  forest.  The  two  center  divisions  of 
our  line  charged  across  the  ploughed  land  at  the 
double-quick,  cheering  as  they  went.  A murderous 
fire  met  them  as  they  advanced,  but  undeterred  tlicy 


354 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


pushed  forward  and  gallantly  carried  the  first  Confed- 
erate line,  taking  six  hundred  prisoners.  But  the 
captured  line  was  in  a position  where  it  could  be  en- 
filaded by  the  enemy’s  fire,  and  being  also  commanded 
by  a redoubt  the  position  was  relinquished. 

During  the  night  the  enemy  endeavored  in  vain  to 
regain  their  lost  line.  This  day’s  action  cost  us  two 
thousand  men,  but  Cold  Harbor  remained  in  our  pos- 
session. The  left  extremity  of  the  Union  line  was  lo- 
cated at  this  point  while  the  right  was  at  Bethesda 
Church,  eight  miles  distant  on  the  Hanovertown  road. 
Late  in  the  afternoon  there  was  an  attack  along  the 
whole  line,  but  it  was  without  noticeable  results  on 
either  side.  By  Thursday  noon,  June  second,  a new 
disposition  of  troops  for  the  attack  had  been  com- 
pleted, the  Second  Corps  was  shifted  to  the  Union 
left  and  the  advance  was  ordered.  But  just  before 
the  appointed  hour,  a heavy  thunder  storm  obscured 
the  heavens,  and  the  battle  of  the  elements  inaugur- 
ated the  contest  below.  The  play  of  lightning  was 
incessant,  the  rain  fell  in  torrents  and  the  waters  of 
the  Chickahominy  foamed  turbulently  with  the  sud- 
den flood.  The  attack  which  was  to  have  been  made 
at  five  o’clock  that  afternoon  was  postponed  until  four 
and  a half  o’clock  the  next  morning,  Friday,  June 
third.  Burnside  held  the  extreme  right,  next  to  him 
came  Warren,  next  Warren  was  the  Eighteenth  Corps 
under  Smith,  Wright’s  Corps  came  next  and  Hancock 
held  the  extreme  left. 

The  two  armies  confronted  each  other  from  oppo- 
site sides  of  a low,  swampy  piece  of  ground  which  was 
destined  to  go  down  to  history  as  the  battle-field  of 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


355 


Cold  Harbor.  Behind  the  enemy’s  lines,  which  were 
drawn  up  for  battle  two  deep,  the  turbulent  Chicka- 
hominy  raged,  before  them  lay  the  swamp  drenched 
with  water  from  the  rain  of  the  previous  night,  and 
beyond  that  gleamed  the  bayonets  of  the  Union 
front,  ready  for  action.  In  the  gloom  of  the  early 
morning  the  skirmish  lines  of  the  two  armies  ad- 
vanced, and  soon  irregular  volleys  of  musketry  an- 
nounced their  encounter. 

The  artillery  then  opened,  and  down  the  battle  lines 
which  stretched  along  the  Chickahominy,  the  thun- 
der of  the  guns  resounded,  scarcely  less  terrible  than 
the  thunder  of  the  heavens  on  the  preceding  night. 

Hancock,  on  the  left,  first  came  up  to  the  Confeder- 
ate works,  and  his  extreme  left  under  Barlow,  fol- 
lowed by  the  division  of  Gibbon,  dashed  forward  in 
the  face  of  a galling  fire  straight  up  to  the  guns  of 
the  enemy.  Then  with  a rush  they  scaled  the  para- 
pets of  the  Rebel  fortifications,  capturing  their  guns 
and  colors  at  that  point,  besides  several  hundred  pris- 
oners. 

This  position  had  been  the  key  point  of  the  battle 
of  Gaines’  Mills  two  years  before  and  commanded  the 
whole  field  from  the  bald  top  of  a ridge  named  Watt’s 
Hill. 

It  also  covered  the  angle  of  the  Dispatch  road,  and 
had  the  brilliant  charge  which  captured  this  position 
received  proper  support,  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor 
would  have  had  a different  sequel.  Lee,  doubtless, 
would  have  been  forced  to  retreat  across  the  Chicka- 
hominy, and  thus  one  of  the  gates  to  Richmond  would 
have  been  seized.  But  Lee,  in  guarding  against  the 


356 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


possible  catastrophes  of  battle,  had  not  overlooked 
this  one,  and  a heavy  force  under  Hill  -was  quickly 
dispatched  to  regain  the  lost  eminence.  Our  brave 
boys  under  Barlow  had  rushed  onward  so  far  in  ad- 
vance that  the  enemy’s  artillery  raked  their  ranks 
with  a terrible  enfilading  fire,  while  Hill  fell  upon 
them  with  overwhelming  numbers.  It  was  impossi- 
ble to  withstand  an  onset  with  such  fearful  odds,  and 
the  shattered  ranks  were  compelled  to  fall  back, 
though  still  keeping  in  charge  part  of  their  prisoners. 
The  desperate  efforts  of  the  Second  Corps  to  carry 
the  Confederate  works  were  without  success.  The 
Sixth  Corps  carried  the  first  line  of  rifle  pits  in  its 
front,  gaining  a point  within  two  hundred  and  fifty 
yards  of  the  enemy,  but  all  the  fury  of  its  five  batter- 
ies did  not  noticeably  damage  their  main  works. 

The  action  of  the  right  of  our  line  under  Warren 
and  Burnside  was  confined  principally  to  heavy  ar- 
tillery firing. 

The  Second  corps  bore  the  brunt  of  the  battle,  and 
the  advantage  which  their  valor  gained  was  only 
temporary.  Again  and  again  did  Grant,  massing  a 
heavy  force,  hurl  it  against  a single  point  of  the 
enemy’s  line : but  the  position  lost  and  gained  by 
the  Confederates  during  the  first  ten  minutes  of 
fighting  secured  such  strength  of  vantage  ground 
that  all  our  efforts  to  dislodge  them  were  rendered 
of  no  avail.  Although  the  battle  lasted  for  five 
long  hours,  this  first  ten  minutes  decided  its  issue. 
Seven  times  did  the  valiant  Sixth  corps  sweep  down 
upon  the  right-center  of  the  enemy,  and  as  many 
times  did  the  enemy  defy  its  assaults. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


357 


Our  entire  line  was  drawn  up  in  close  proximity 
to  the  Confederate  position,  and  at  one  point  on  the 
extreme  left  the  contending  forces  were  reported  to 
he  only  fifteen  yards  distant ! During  a lull  in  the 
fury  of  conflict,  the  two  central  figures  in  the  Union 
army,  Grant  and  Meade,  were  seen  on  an  eminence 
in  anxious  consultation,  and  the  question,  “ Will 
the  assault  be  renewed  ?”  was  asked  along  the  lines. 
A writer  for  the  New  York  Times  speaks  as  follows 
concerning  the  relative  positions  of  the  fighting 
hosts : 

“ One  portion  of  our  line  retained  all  day  a posi- 
tion within  fifteen  yards  of  the  Rebel  works.  This 
heroic  band  was  the  brigade  of  Colonel  McKean,  a 
brigade  of  Gibbon’s  division  of  Hancock’s  corps,  and 
numbering  about  eight  hundred  men.  The  conduct 
•of  these  eight  hundred  is  as  splendid  a stroke  of 
heroism  as  ever  lit  up  the  story  of  the  ‘ glory  we  call 
Greece,  and  the  grandeur  we  call  Rome.’  Through 
the  livelong  day,  these  men  held  their  line,  within 
fifteen  yards  of  the  enemy,  and  all  his  forces  could 
not  dislodge  them.  Repeatedly  during  the  day  the 
Rebels  formed  double  columns  of  attack  to  come 
over  the  work  and  assail  them,  and  the  officers  could 
be  heard  encouraging  their  troops,  saying  to  them, 
‘ There  are  only  four  or  five  hundred  of  them — • 
come  on  ! ’ But  the  moment  the  Rebels  showed  them- 
selves above  their  parapet,  a line  of  fire  flashed  out 
from  behind  the  earthen  mound,  where  those  eight 
hundred  heroes  stood  in  a new  Thermopylae,  and 
many  a Rebel  threw  up  his  arms  and  fell  prone  under 
their  swift  avenging  bullets. 


358 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


“ The  sequel  of  this  bit  of  history  is  as  curious 
as  the  deed  itself — for  while  the  Rebels  dared  not 
venture  out  to  assail  McKean’s  men,  neither  could 
he  nor  his  command  recede  from  the  perilous  posi- 
tion. He  could  not  get  back  to  us — we  could  not 
go  forward  to  him.  In  this  dilemma,  the  ingenious 
device  was  hit  upon  of  running  a ‘ sap,’  or  zigzag 
trench,  up  from  our  line  to  his.  In  this  way  a 
working  party  were  able  to  dig  up  to  where  they  lay, 
begrimed  with  powder  and  worn  down  with  fatigue, 
and  a few  hours  ago  they  were  brought  safely  away, 
— ‘all  that  was  left  of  them,  left  of  six  hundred!’ 
But  McKean,  their  gallant  leader,  he  came  not  away 
alive.  Since  eleven  in  the  morning,  he  had  lain 
behind  the  bulwark  his  valor  defended,  a corpse, 
While  preparing  to  resist  a Rebel  assault,  lie  fell, 
pierced  by  the  bullet  of  a sharpshooter,  and  after 
living  for  an  hour  or  two  in  an  agonizing  death-in-life, 
begging  his  staff  officers  to  put  an  end  to  his  misery, 
his  heroic  soul  forsook  the  turmoil  of  this  weary, 
warring  world.” 

All  day  this  position  was  retained,  neither  army 
making  any  decided  demonstrations  of  attack.  Just 
after  dark,  however,  a fierce  charge  was  made  by  the 
enemy  on  Hancock’s  Corps ; but  the  brave  boys  of 
the  Second  dealt  them  such  deadly  volleys  from  mus- 
ketry and  artillery  that  the  charge,  though  desperate, 
resulted  only  in  terrible  loss  of  life.  The  enemy 
evinced  a bravery  in  this  charge  which  could  not  fail 
to  call  forth  the  admiration  of  those  who  witnessed  it. 
Their  ranks,  torn  open  at  every  discharge  from  our 
guns,  closed  steadily  up  and  pressed  forward  to  our 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


359 


very  breastworks,  some  even  scaling  the  parapets, 
though  only  to  fall  dead  in  the  act.  But  their  most 
desperate  efforts  to  carry  the  intrenchments  were  in 
vain,  and  their  broken  ranks  fell  back  through  the 
gloom  of  the  night  to  their  old  position. 

Thus  the  curtain  fell  on  the  last  act  in  the  battle 
of  Cold  Harbor — a fight  neither  lost  nor  won : for 
Cold  Harbor  remained  ours  in  defiance  of  every 
endeavor  of  the  enemy  to  take  it;  but  the  Chicka- 
hominy,  at  that  point,  remained  their’s,  defying  in 
turn  all  our  valor  and  skill. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

PORT  "W  A G-ItsT IEH  HR. . 


Site  of  the  Fort. — First  Assault. — Bombardment  from  the  Fleet. — 
Heaven’s  Artillery. — The  Advance  at  Night. — The  Colored  Regi- 
ment.— Furious  Assault  and  Terrible  Slaughter. — Bravery  of  Col- 
ored Troops. — Death  of  Colonel  Shaw. — Waiting  under  a Hail- 
storm of  Death. — The  Possession  of  an  Hour. — Repulse  and  Losses. 
— Wagner  Impervious  to  Assault. — Progress  of  the  Siege. — The 
“ Swamp  Angel.” — Fort  Sumter  in  Ruins. — Calcium  Lights. — The 
Enemy  Driven  to  the  Wall. — Wagner  Evacuated. — Spoils  of  Vic- 
tory. 

THE  story  of  Fort  Wagner  possesses  for  me  a peculiar 
and  personal  interest,  on  account  of  having  first  lis- 
tened to  its  recital  in  detail  from  the  lips  of  one  of  the 
colored  participants,  while  I was  held  a prisoner  in 
Charleston  jail  yard.  Sergeant  Johnson  was  a full- 
blooded  and  intelligent  negro,  and  gave  -me  an  inter- 
esting history  of  the  captivity  of  himself  and  com- 
rades after  the  final  bloody  assault  of  the  eighteenth. 
They  were  free  negroes  living  in  the  state  of  Massa- 
chusetts, but  were  tried  on  a charge  of  leaving  their 
masters  and  joining  the  Union  army.  Happily,  the 
abolition  of  slavery  renders  such  mockeries  in  the 
name  of  justice  no  longer  possible,  and  gradually  the 
long-suffering  and  down-trodden  race  is  being  placed  on 
the  merit  of  character  instead  of  color. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  entrance  to  Charleston 
Harbor  lies  Morris  Island — a sand  formation  washed 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


361 


up  by  long  accumulations  of  debris  swept  outward 
from  the  beach,  and  inward  from  the  wide  ocean. 
Cumming’s  Point  is  at  the  northern  extremity  of  this 
island,  and  southward,  down  the  beach,  on  a narrow 
peninsula  of  sand,  Fort  Wagner  faces  the  sea.  Early 
in  July,  1863,  a combined  military  and  naval  expedi- 
tion was  organized  by  the  Federal  Government  for  the 
purpose  of  taking  possession  of  Morris  Island,  and 
reducing  Fort  Wagner. 

On  July  tenth,  a lodgment  on  Morris  Island  was 
effected,  and  the  infantry  of  the  attacking  force  was 
pushed  forward  to  within  six  hundred  yards  of  Fort 
Wagner.  In  a dispatch  to  General  Halleck,  from 
Morris  Island,  dated  July  twelfth,  General  Gilmore 
says  — “ We  now  hold  all  the  Island  except  about  one 
mile  on  the  north  end,  which  includes  Fort  Wagner, 
and  a battery  on  Cumming’s  Point.  * * * * 

On  the  morning  of  the  eleventh  instant,  at  daybreak, 
an  effort  was  made  to  carry  Fort  Wagner  by  assault. 
The  parapet  was  gained,  but  the  supports  recoiled  un- 
der the  fire  to  which  they  were  exposed,  and  could  not 
be  got  up.  Our  loss  in  both  actions  will  not  vary 
much  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  in  killed,  wounded, 
and  prisoners.” 

But  the  effort  to  reduce  Fort  Wagner  by  assault  was 
not  thus  easily  relinquished,  and  another  attack  was 
determined  upon,  which  took  place  on  the  eighteenth 
of  July.  A bombardment  from  the  fleet  was  to  have 
opened  at  dawn  on  that  day,  but  a terrible  storm 
which  burst  over  land  and  sea,  dampened  our  powder 
and  caused  a delay  of  six  hours.  At  half  past  twelve 
o’clock  the  attack  began,  and  a rain  of  fire  fell  upon 


362 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


Fort  Wagner  from  six  iron-clad  gunboats,  stationed 
at  short  range  from  Morris  Island,  and  also  from  a 
semi-circular  line  of  batteries  ranged  across  the  island 
a mile  distant,  to  the  southward.  Several  wooden  gun- 
boats farther  away,  also  sent  their  shells  into  the  ram- 
parts of  the  fort.  The  bombardment,  though  raging 
severely,  from  noon  until  nightfall,  was  without  appar- 
ent effect.  As  the  sun  went  down,  the  boom  of  can- 
non died  away  over  the  bay,  and  from  the  depths  of  a 
black  thunder  cloud  which  now  unrolled  itself  over  the 
sky,  the  jagged  lightnings  leaped  in  angry  flashes.  The 
roar  of  the  artillery  of  the  sky,  mingling  with  the  fierce 
tempest  which  now  broke  over  Charleston  Harbor,  suc- 
ceeded the  thunder  of  the  fleet.  In  the  midst  of  the 
storm,  arrangements  were  perfected  to  carry  the  fort 
by  assault — an  impression  having  been  received  that 
the  works  were  evacuated.  Our  iron-clads,  with  the 
exception  of  the  Montauk,  returned  to  their  anchorage. 
General  Strong,  Colonel  Putnam,  and  General  Steven- 
son, led  three  brigades  respectively  in  this  perilous 
undertaking,  the  Fifty-fourth  Massachusetts  (colored) 
having  the  advance.  The  troops,  forming  in  line, 
moved  forward  over  the  hard  beach,  from  which  the 
tide  had  retired,  towards  the  fort.  The  hour  of  low 
tide  had  been  chosen  on  account  of  the  narrowness  of 
the  strip  of  land  along  which  the  attacking  force  were 
obliged  to  pass  in  order  to  reach  the  fort.  The  Fifty- 
fourth  Massachusetts  regiment  was  commanded  by 
Colonel  Robert  G.  Shaw,  and  was  the  first  colored 
force  organized  in  a free  State.  Anxious  to  prove 
their  bravery,  the  regiment,  in  order  to  be  on  the  bat- 
tle-ground in  season,  marched  for  two  days  “ through 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


363 


heavy  sands,  working  its  way  across  creeks  and  inlets, 
unsheltered  through  the  pelting  rains  of  the  interven- 
ing nights ; only  reaching  at  six  in  the  afternoon 
General  Strong’s  headquarters,  about  midway  of  the 
island,  where  it  was  halted  five  minutes  : but  there 
was  now  no  time  for  rest  and  food,  and  it  went  for- 
ward hungry  and  weary  to  take  its  place  in  the  front 
line  of  the  assaulting  columns.  * * * Advanc- 

ing a few  hundred  yards  under  a random  fire  from 
two  or  three  great  guns,  halted  half  an  hour  during 
which  the  Fifty-fourth  was  addressedby  General  Strong 
and  by  its  colonel : and  then,  as  the  dusk  was  deep- 
ening rapidly  into  darkness,  the  order  to  advance  was 
given,  and  under  a storm  of  shot  and  shell  from  Wag- 
ner, Sumter,  and  Cumming’s  Point,  our  soldiers  moved 
swiftly  on.”  Silently  they  advanced  until  when 
within  two  hundred  yards  of  the  fort  the  silence  was 
broken  by  a great  shout  and  with  a wild  rush  the  troops 
swept  forward  up  the  glacis,  the  other  regiments  fol- 
lowing closely.  The  furious  storm  of  grape  and  can- 
ister which  greeted  then  from  the  fort,  decimated  their 
ranks  with  terrible  havoc ; but  the  colored  troops 
plunged  boldly  on,  numbers  of  them  crossing  the  ditch, 
though  the  water  in  it  was  four  feet  deep,  and  gaining 
the  parapet.  But  they  were  driven  back  by  hand  gre- 
nades, though  not  until  half  their  number  were  left 
dead  on  the  field.  Their  brave  young  colonel  was 
among  the  number  whose  lives  paid  the  forfeit  of  this 
terrible  charge.  “ The  Sixth  Connecticut  Regiment, 
under  Lieutenant  Colonel  Rodman,  was  next  in  sup- 
port of  the  Fifty-fourth  and  they  also  suffered  terribly, 
being  compelled  to  retire  after  a stubborn  contest. 


364 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


The  Ninth  Maine,  which  was  next  in  line,  was  broken 
up  by  the  passage  of  the  remnant  of  the  repulsed  col- 
ored regiment  through  its  lines,  and  retired  in  confu- 
sion, excepting  three  companies,  which  stood  their 
ground.”  The  Third  New  Hampshire  now  rushed  into 
the  contest  and  three  companies  waded  the  water  of 
the  ditch  and  found  shelter  under  the  embankment. 

The  Second  Brigade  being  unaccountably  delayed 
in  coming  up,  General  Strong  ordered  the  men  to  fall 
back  and  lie  down  on  the  glacis.  Here,  while  wait- 
ing for  their  supports  and  while  exposed  to  a galling 
fire,  General  Strong  was  wounded.  The  Second  Brig- 
ade not  yet  arriving,  the  order  to  retire  was  given 
and  the  men  left  the  field  in  perfect  order.  The  other 
regiments  soon  afterwards  coming  up,  rushed  with 
impetuous  valor  up  the  glacis,  undeterred  by  the 
steady  fire  of  the  enemy,  and  climbing  over  the  para- 
pet descended  into  the  fort,  where  a desperate  hand- 
to-hand  encounter  took  place.  For  over  an  hour  our 
gallant  troops  held  possession  of  the  fort,  obliging  the 
garrison  to  seek  the  shelter  of  the  traverses  at  one 
side  of  the  works.  But  re-enforcements  arriving  for 
them,  our  gallant  boys  were  at  last  driven  from  the 
fort,  overpowered  by  superior  numbers. 

The  Forty-eighth  New  York  regiment  under  Colonel 
Barton,  having  been  among  the  first  to  reach  the  fort, 
was  fired  upon  by  mistake,  by  a regiment  that  gained 
the  parapet  a few  moments  later,  supposing  it  to  be- 
long to  the  Confederate  garrison. 

The  brave  Forty-eighth  came  out  of  the  fight  with 
decimated  ranks. 

At  midnight  the  order  to  retire  was  given  and  the 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION.  365 

troops  fell  back  to  the  rifle  pits  outside  their  own 
works. 

As  the  Union  force  retired,  a “Rebel  yell  of  triumph 
from  Wagner  rose  above  the  thunder  of  their  guns 
from  Sumter  and  Cumming’s  Point.”  The  Union 
loss  in  this  desperate  assault  was  fifteen  hundred, 
while  the  Rebel  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  was  not 
much  over  one  hundred.  Only  the  severely  wounded 
on  our  side,  were  taken  prisoners,  but  six  hundred 
Union  dead,  according  to  Confederate  authority,  were 
buried  on  this  woeful  battle-field. 

“ Among  these  was  Colonel  Shaw — a hereditary 
Abolitionist — on  whom  they  vainly  thought  to  heap 
indignity  by  ‘ burying  him  in  the  same  pit  with  his 
niggers.’  His  relatives  and  friends  gratefully  accepted 
the  fitting  tribute.”  General  Strong  received  a mor- 
tal wound  near  the  spot  where  the  young  Colonel  met 
his  death,  and  the  lives  of  many  other  brave  officers 
were  here  laid  down,  a noble  sacrifice  for  the  cause 
they  loved. 

Port  Wagner  having  thus  been  proven  impregna- 
ble to  assault,  General  Gilmore  began  the  reduction 
of  the  place  by  regular  siege.  The  cross  fires  from 
Fort  Sumter,  Battery  Gregg  and  several  other  batter- 
ies on  James  Island,  rendered  this  work  one  of  diffi- 
culty, and  the  narrow  land  approach  to  the  fort,  com- 
plicated it  still  further. 

But  steadily,  night  after  night,  under  cover  of  the 
darkness,  and  in  the  face  of  all  obstacles,  the  be- 
seigers  worked  on. 

Trenches  were  dug,  batteries  erected  and  mortars 
and  siege  guns  placed  in  position  to  do  their  deadly 


366 


BATTLES  FOR  TILE  UNION. 


work.  Row  after  row  of  inclined  palisading  was 
pushed  forward  towards  the  doomed  fort,  until  there 
was  no  longer  room  to  advance  parallels,  on  account 
of  the  proximity  of  fort  and  beach.  But  the  ap- 
proach was  now  continued  by  zig-zag  trenches  at  acute 
angles  with  each  other.  Torpedo  mines  also  filled 
the  ground  from  this  point  forward.  Meantime,  while 
the  work  of  the  seige  went  on,  the  guns  of  our  fleet 
continued  to  belch  their  thunders  over  the  bay,  bom- 
barding the  defences  of  the  harbor,  with  little  inter- 
mission. 

In  the  soft,  black  mud  westward  of  Morris  Island,  on 
a platform  of  logs  supported  by  piles  driven  down  to 
the  hard  sand-bed  below,  the  ‘ Marsh  Battery  ’ was 
erected,  mounting  a single  eight-inch  rifled  Parrott, 
protected  by  a sand-bag  parapet.  This  was  the  cele- 
brated “ Swamp  Angel”  of  soldier  nomenclature, 
and  its  design  was  to  shell  Charleston  unless  Morris 
Island  surrendered.  It  carried  a projectile  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  pounds  weight,  but  at  its  thirty-sixth 
discharge  it  burst,  and  its  work  was  thus  brought  sud- 
denly to  an  end. 

The  steady  storm  of  shot  and  shell  which  was  contin- 
uously poured  upon  Fort  Sumter  from  our  batteries  and 
iron-clads,  began  to  take  effect,  dismounting  its  guns, 
and  crumbling  its  walls,  until  at  length,  it  was  reduced 
to  a mass  of  shapeless  ruins,  and  on  the  twenty-third 
of  the  month,  General  Gilmore  ceased  firing  in  that 
direction,  and  reported  to  Halleck  that  “Fort  Sumter 
as  an  offensive  work  was  now  practically  demolished.” 

And  thus  the  siege  went  on,  from  the  time  of  the 
final  assault  on  the  eighteenth  of  J uly,  through  all  the 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


367 


month  of  August  and  the  opening  days  of  autumn. 
Towards  the  last  of  the  siege,  all  our  light  mortars 
had  been  brought  to  the  front  and  placed  in  battery, 
and  powerful  calcium  lights  were  used  by  night  to 
blind  the  enemy  and  “ assist  the  operations  of  our  can- 
noneers and  sharpshooters.” 

On  September  fifth,  at  daybreak,  our  batteries,  after 
a temporary  check,  re-opened  on  the  enemy’s  works, 
aided  by  the  “New  Ironsides,”  which  dropped  its  ex- 
ploding shells  into  the  fort,  from  a broadside  of  eight 
guns.  The  calcium  lights  “ turned  night  into  day, 
blinding  the  garrison,  and  rendering  visible  to  the  be- 
siegers everything  connected  with  the  fort.”  Under 
this  terrible  attack,  the  enemy  were  compelled  to 
remain  under  the  shelter  of  their  bomb-proofs,  thus 
leaving  our  sappers  free  to  push  forward  their  work 
under  the  very  wall  of  the  fort.  On  the  evening  of 
September  sixth,  everything  was  ready  for  another 
grand  assault,  and  General  Terry  was  ordered  to  lead 
the  attack  in  three  columns,  at  nine  o’clock  on  the 
morning  of  the  seventh.  But  at  midnight  on  the  sixth 
the  garrison  were  discovered  to  be  escaping,  and  so 
quickly  did  they  move,  that  only  seventy-five  prisoners 
were  captured.  Eighteen  guns  were  left  in  Fort  Wag- 
ner and  seven  in  Battery  Gregg.  The  bomb-proof 
shelter  of  Fort  Wagner  was  found  to  be  not  seriously 
injured,  thus  proving  that  sand — of  which  it  was  con- 
structed— is  possessed  of  far  greater  power  of  resist- 
ance than  stone  or  brick. 

In  a dispatch  from  Gilmore  to  Halleck,  dated  Sep- 
tember seventh,  he  says : — “ About  ten  o’clock  last 
night  the  enemy  commenced  evacuating  the  island  and 


868 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 


all  but  seventy-five  of  them  made  their  escape  from 
Cumming’s  Point,  in  small  boats. 

“ Captured  dispatches  show  that  Fort  Wagner  was 
commanded  by  Colonel  Keitt  of  South  Carolina,  and 
garrisoned  by  one  thousand  four  hundred  effective 
men,  and  Battery  Gregg  by  between  one  hundred  and 
two  hundred  men. 

“Fort  Wagner  is  a work  of  the  most  formidable 
kind.  Its  bomb-proof  shelter,  capable  of  containing 
one  thousand  eight  hundred  men,  remains  intact  af- 
ter the  most  terrific  bombardment  to  which  any  work 
was  ever  subjected. 

“ We  have  captured  nineteen  pieces  of  artillery, 
and  a large  supply  of  excellent  ammunition.” 

New  batteries  were  erected  upon  Morris  Island  after 
its  capture,  with  the  design  of  commanding  Foi't  Sum- 
ter and  aiding  any  naval  attack  which  might  storm 
Charleston.  The  city  which  recklessly,  and  without 
counting  the  cost,  had  sown  the  seeds  of  disunion,  was 
yet  doomed  to  reap  the  fruits  thereof  in  war’s  merci- 
less desolation.  Her  ocean  defences  were  now  forced 
and  the  guns  of  Liberty  thundered  at  her  gates. 
Soon,  the  shriek  of  exploding  shells  resounded  through 
her  streets  and  her  people  abandoned  their  dwellings, 
seeking  places  of  safety.  The  “ cradle  of  secession  ” 
was  violently  rocked,  and  the  progeny  which,  fathered 
by  injustice,  had  been  nursed  therein,  was  soon  to 
struggle  in  death’s  fatal  throes.  ^ 


CHAPTEK  XL. 


CEDAR  CREEK. 

Sheridan  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley. — Pursuit  of  Early. — Cedar  Creek 
Encampment. — The  Enemy  Re-enforced. — The  Determined  Attack. 
— The  Silent  March. — The  Slumbering  Army  Surprised. — The  Wild 
Yell  through  the  Fog. — The  Union  Army  a Mass  of  Fugitives. — The 
Nineteenth  Corps  Forced  Back  by  the  Wave  of  Retreat. —Efforts  of 
the  Brave  Sixth. — The  Fight  Near  Middletown. — Sheridan  at  Win- 
chester.— His  Wild  Ride. — The  Stream  of  Fugitives  Arrested.  The 
Union  Battle-line  Re-formed. — Our  Victorious  Charge. — The  Ene- 
my Routed  in  Confusion. — Honor  to  Sheridan. 

THE  renown  with  which  the  battle  of  Cedar  Creek 
covered  the  name  of  Sheridan,  will  live  while  his- 
tory is  written  or  has  power  to  survive  the  wreck  of 
time.  No  more  eloquent  theme  could  be  furnished  the 
pen  of  the  historian  or  the  inspiration  of  the  poet 
than  the  battle  of  Cedar  Creek,  with  Sheridan’s  ride, 
from  Winchester  and  its  glorious  sequel.  No  single 
event  of  the  late  war  presents  stronger  claims  for  our 
hero-worship  than  this.  None  more  clearly  evidences 
the  wonderful  power  of  a magnetic  will  force,  to  con- 
trol circumstances  and  subdue  even  the  reverses  of 
battle. 

After  the  complete  surprise  that  Early  had  given 
our  army  at  Cedar  Creek,  and  its  consequent  terrible 
rout  and  defeat,  it  seems  little  less  than  a miracle 
that  the  presence  of  one  man  should  stem  the  retreat, 


370 


BATTLES  FOR  TI1E  UNION. 


turn  the  tide  of  battle,  and  lead  a shattered  army 
back  to  conquest  and  glory. 

When  Sheridan  had  returned  from  his  pursuit  of 
Early  up  the  Shenandoah  Yalley  in  the  autumn  of 
1864,  he  retired  to  the  north  bank  of  Cedar  Creek, 
near  Strasburg.  Supposing  the  enemy  too  severely 
crippled  by  defeat  and  by  the  wholesale  destruction  of 
property  in  the  valley,  to  attempt  an  attack  at  that 
time,  Sheridan  left  his  army  and  went  up  to  Washing- 
ton for  a little  visit. 

General  Early,  having  been  re-enforced  by  twelve 
thousand  men,  and  hearing  that  Sheridan  had  gone  to 
Washington,  determined  to  attack  the  Army  of  the 
Shenandoah,  before  its  general  could  have  a chance 
to  return. 

His  own  army  was  short  of  supplies,  and  the  rich 
spoils  which  he  knew  were  in  possession  of  the  Union 
troops  was  too  tempting  a prize  to  be  lightly  passed 
by.  “ Our  force  at  this  time,  was  posted  on  three 
moderate  hills  extending  for  three  miles  across  the 
country,  each  one  a little  back  of  the  other.” 

The  Army  of  West  Virginia,  under  Crook,  held 
the  first  hill  ; the  second  was  occupied  by  the  Nine- 
teenth Corps  under  Emory,  and  the  Sixth  Corps,  with 
Torbct’s  cavalry  covering  its  right  flank,  held  the 
third  eminence.  Early  crossed  the  mountains  between 
the  two  forks  of  the  Shenandoah  River  on  the  night  of 
October  eighteenth,  1864,  and  forded  the  north  branch, 
— marching  in  five  columns.  His  design  was  to  sur- 
prise the  Union  camp,  and  that  the  march  might  be 
noiseless,  he  ordered  the  canteens  of  the  soldiers  to  be 
left  behind,  to  prevent  any  alarm  from  being  given  to 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


371 


the  Union  pickets,  by  their  clanking  against  the  bay- 
onets. His  march  was  towards  our  left,  and  notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  at  about  two  o’clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, the  heavy  muffled  tramp  of  Early’s  army  of  be- 
tween twenty  and  thirty  thousand  was  heard  by  some 
of  our  pickets,  few  precautions  were  taken  and  no  re- 
connoisance  was  sent  out.  Not  dreaming  of  the  con- 
templated attack,  on  the  eve  of  a great  surprise,  our 
army,  unconscious  of  its  danger,  slumbered  peacefully 
on.  Meantime,  the  enemy  pushing  on  through  the 
gray  gloom  of  the  early  morning  and  marching  on  the 
borders  of  our  position  for  miles,  halted  at  last  when 
they  were  within  six  hundred  yards  of  our  camps. 

A reconnoitering  force  from  Crook’s  army  was  just 
preparing  to  go  out,  when  suddenly  a wild  yell  burst 
through  the  fog  which  hid  from  their  view  the  Confed- 
erate army,  which  was  quickly  followed  by  a withering 
musketry  fire  and  the  clash  of  arms.  Before  our  sur- 
prised and  panic-stricken  troops  could  be  formed  in 
battle  array,  the  enemy  were  upon  them,  and  after  a 
short  and  sharp  encounter,  the  Army  of  Western  Vir- 
ginia was  thrown  in  utter  rout — a mass  of  fugitives 
flying  before  the  pursuing  foe  back  towards  the  second 
hill  where  the  Nineteenth  Corps  was  encamped. 

The  few  regiments  of  Crook’s  force  which  endeav- 
ored to  make  a stand,  were  swept  back  before  the  swell- 
ing tide  of  fugitives  in  full  and  disordered  retreat. 

The  Nineteenth  Corps  attempted  to  arrest  the  Con- 
federate advance,  but  the  enemy  getting  in  our  rear 
and  enfilading  us  with  our  captured  batteries,  the  troops 
broke  rank  and  fell  back  in  confusion  towards  the 
encampment  of  the  Sixth  Corps  on  the  third  hill  in 
the  rear. 


372 


BATTLES  FOR  TIIE  UNION. 


A new  line  of  battle  was  formed  by  Wright,  who  was 
making  desperate  attempts  to  stay  the  onward  tide  of 
fugitives  which  steadily  poured  to  the  rear.  Early’s 
hungry  troops  now  began  to  leave  their  ranks  in  large 
numbers  to  plunder  the  two  deserted  camps  of  their 
rich  booty.  Had  Wright  been  aware  of  this  fact,  per- 
haps lie  could  have  successfully  resisted  the  Confeder- 
ate advance.  As  it  was,  after  having  hurled  back  a 
fierce  onset  of  the  enemy  and  covered  the  retreat  of 
the  disordered  crowd  in  his  rear,  he  began  to  fear  that 
liis  communications  might  be  endangered  and  there- 
fore fell  back  towards  Middletown.  Wright  had  thus 
heroically  interposed  himself  and  his  command  be- 
tween our  army  and  its  threatened  destruction. 

Merritt  and  Custer  with  two  divisions  of  cavalry 
were  ordered  to  our  left  to  check  the  murderous  fire 
assailing  it,  and  a severe  fight  ensued  in  the  fields 
near  Middletown.  The  enemy  endeavored  to  gain 
possession  of  the  turnpike,  in  order  to  seize  our  trains 
and  get  between  our  forces  and  Winchester.  A con- 
centrated fire  from  Middletown  Heights  where  Early 
had  planted  his  batteries,  was  poured  upon  the  left, 
and  unable  to  withstand  its  force,  they  were  compelled 
to  retreat  in  the  direction  of  Newtown,  five  miles  dis- 
tant. As  they  slowly  retired,  their  ranks  were  exposed 
to  the  cannonade  of  the  enemy  from  the  heights. 

While  the  brave  Sixth  Corps  was  firmly  covering  the 
retreat  of  the  routed  army,  General  Rickets  com- 
manding received  a severe  wound  in  the  breast. 

But  while  his  army  was  struggling  for  four  anxious 
hours  on  the  brink  of  destruction,  where  in  the  mean- 
time, was  Sheridan  ? He  had  arrived  at  Winchester, 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


873 


twenty  miles  from  his  camp,  on  the  night  of  the 
eighteenth,  intending  to  go  on  to  Cedar  Creek  the 
next  morning.  He  sipped  his  coffee  leisurely  at  Win- 
chester on  the  morning  of  the  nineteenth,  never  dream- 
ing of  the  maelstrom  of  rout  into  which  his  army 
had  been  thrown,  and  with  which  they  were  at  that 
moment  contending.  It  was  about  eight  o’clock,  when 
with  his  escort,  he  rode  out  of  Winchester  towards 
camp.  As  he  went  onward,  the  vibrations  of  the 
ground,  trembling  under  the  heavy  discharges  of  ar- 
tillery in  the  unseen  distance,  gave  him  his  first  inti- 
mation of  the  battle  that  raged  in  his  front.  Nothing 
alarmed,  however,  he  proceeded  on  his  way  though  at 
a quickened  pace,  thinking  that  if  Early  had  dared 
to  attack  our  strong  position  at  Cedar  Creek,  he  could 
not  fail  to  meet  with  terrible  punishment  for  his 
temerity.  But  as  the  thunder  of  the  cannon  grew 
louder  until  at  last  it  deepened  into  one  continuous 
roar,  the  terrible  conviction  was  forced  upon  him  that 
his  army  was  retreating  northward. 

Startled  from  his  composure  as  the  truth  flashed 
over  him,  he  dashed  the  spurs  into  his  horse  and  was 
soon  far  ahead  of  his  escort,  tearing  madly  along  the 
road. 

“And  there  through  the  flush  of  the  morning  light 
A steed  as  black  as  the  steeds  of  night 
Was  seen  to  pass  on  with  eagle  flight ; 

As  if  he  knew  the  terrible  need 
He  stretched  away  with  his  utmost  speed. 

Hills  rose  and  fell ; but  his  heart  was  gay 
With  Sheridan  fifteen  miles  away.” 

Wildly,  with  distended  nostrils  and  fiery  eye-balls 
16 


374 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


and  foam-flecked  sides,  the  black  horse  of  Sheridan  gal- 
loped onward  like  the  -wind,  yet  all  too  slow  for  the 
anxious  heart  of  the  leader,  impatient  to  be  on  the 
battle-field. 

“ Under  his  spuming  feet,  the  road 
Like  an  arrowy  Alpine  river  flowed, 

And  the  landscape  sped  away  behind, 

Like  an  ocean  flying  before  the  wind  ; 

And  the  steed  like  a bark  fed  with  furnace  ire, 

Swept  on  with  his  wild  eye  full  of  fire. 

But  lo  ! he  is  nearing  his  heart’s  desire, 

He  is  snuffing  the  smoke  of  the  roaring  fray 
With  Sheridan  only  five  miles  away.” 

Soon  he  encountered  the  stream  of  fugitives  surg- 
ing northward,  but  they  paused  and  turned  about  as 
they  saw  their  brave  leader  flying  towards  the  front, 
and  even  the  wounded  men  lying  by  the  roadside 
cheered  him.  Swinging  his  cap  above  his  head,  he 
shouted  as  he  dashed  onward,  “ Face  the  other  way 
boys,  face  the  other  way ; we  are  going  back  to 
our  camps ; we  are  going  to  lick  them  out  of  their 
boots !” 

It  was  about  ten  o’clock  when  he  galloped  up  to  the 
front,  with  his  horse  covered  with  foam,  and  by  his 
voice  and  magnetic  presence,  stopped  the  retreat  and 
infused  new  life  and  energy  into  the  panic-stricken 
army. 

Every  effort  was  now  directed  to  re-forming  his 
men,  which  a pause  in  the  pursuit  favored — the  army 
taking  a position  out  of  range  of  the  enemy’s  fire. 
A new  line  of  battle  was  arranged  with  the  Sixth 
Corps  in  the  center,  Crook’s  command  on  the  left,  and 


AKRIVAL  OF  SHERIDAN  AT  TIIE  BATTLE  OF  CEDAR  CREEK. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


377 


tlie  Nineteenth  on  the  right,  with  Custer’s  cavalry  on 
the  extreme  right,  and  Merritt’s  cavalry  on  the  ex- 
treme left. 

While  the  line  was  forming,  Sheridan  seemed  to  be 
everywhere  at  once,  attending  to  the  work  of  re-organ- 
ization, dashing  up  and  down  the  front  and  imbuing 
the  men  with  his  own  wonderful  enthusiasm  and 
courage. 

“ Boys,”  said  he,  “ If  I had  been  here  this  never 
should  have  happened.  I tell  you  it  never  should 
have  happened.  And  now  we  are  going  back  to  our 
camps.  We  are  going  to  get  a twist  on  them.  We 
are  going  to  lick  them  out  of  their  boots.” 

Shouts  and  cheers  followed  him,  and  though  they 
had  eaten  nothing  since  the  night  before,  and  had  been 
fighting  for  five  hours,  the  excited  soldiers  felt  a new 
strength  given  them  by  the  confidant  bearing  and  lan- 
guage of  their  heroic  commander. 

The  Confederates,  meantime,  had  placed  their  ar- 
tillery in  range  of  our  new  position  and  then  a grand 
charge  was  made  across  the  fields,  directly  on  the 
Nineteenth  Corps. 

Emory  had  orders  to  stop  the  enemy’s  advance  at 
all  hazards,  and  the  terrible  repulse  which  hurled 
back  Early’s  men  showed  how  well  the  order  was 
obeyed. 

When  the  news  of  the  repulse  was  despatched  to 
Sheridan,  “ Thank  God  for  that,”  said  he,  “ Now  then 
tell  General  Emory  if  they  attack  him  again,  to  go 
after  them  and  follow  them  up,  and  to  sock  it  into  them, 
and  to  give  them  the  devil !”  And  with  almost  every 
word,  bringing  his  right  hand  down  into  the  palm  of 


378 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


his  left,  with  a sharp  blow,  he  added,  “We’!!  get  the 
tightest  twist  on  them  yet,  you  ever  saw, — we’ll  have 
all  those  camps  and  cannon  back  again.” 

And  Sheridan  kept  his  word. 

Early,  compelled  to  relinquish  the  offensive,  retired 
a short  distance  and  began  throwing  up  breast-works. 
Their  wagon-trains  were  brought  across  Cedar  Run, 
with  the  evident  intention  of  retaining  their  position 
during  the  night.  But  Sheridan  did  not  propose  to 
stop  short  of  putting  the  enemy  to  rout  and  regaining 
the  lost  camps  on  Cedar  Creek.  At  half-past  three 
o’clock,  therefore,  the  re-organized  troops  dashed  for- 
ward in  a bold  charge,  Getty’s  Second  Division  having 
the  advance. 

A murderous  fire  from  artillery  and  musketry 
greeted  them  as  they  rushed  towards  the  foe,  and 
under  its  withering  blaze  the  lines  broke  and  fell  back. 

“ The  sight  roused  Sheridan  almost  to  frenzy,  and 
galloping  amid  the  broken  ranks,  he,  by  his  thrilling 
appeals  and  almost  superhuman  efforts,  restored  order, 
and  although  his  few  remaining  cannon  could  make 
but  a feeble  response  to  the  overwhelming  batteries  of 
the  enemy,  he  ordered  the  advance  to  be  resumed. 

“ The  next  moment  came  a prolonged  roar  of  mus- 
ketry, mingled  with  the  long-drawn  yell  of  our  charge 
— then  the  artillery  ceased — the  musketry  died  into 
spattering  bursts,  and  over  all  the  yell  triumphant. 

“ Everything  on  the  first  line,  the  stone  walls,  the 
advanced  crest,  the  tangled  wood,  and  the  half-finished 
breast-works  had  been  carried.” 

Where  shot  and  shell  crashed  thickest,  there  rode 
Sheridan,  heedless  of  the  storm,  dashing  along  the 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


379 


front  and  giving  liis  orders  in  person  to  the  various 
division  and  corps  commanders.  It  was  a fearful 
crisis,  but  Sheridan,  with  the  grandeur  of  a hero,  rose 
master  of  the  situation,  and  as  our  brave  boys  re- 
sponded to  his  appeals,  they  swept  everything  before 
them  with  resistless  valor  and  sent  the  panic-stricken 
enemy  flying  in  utter  confusion  and  rout. 

On  through  Middletown  and  beyond  it,  the  pursu- 
ing army  of  the  Shenandoah  chased  the  flying  foe. 
The  squadrons  of  Custer  and  Merritt  charged  the 
flanks  of  the  enemy  right  and  left,  “ taking  prisoners, 
slashing,  killing,  driving  as  they  went.” 

The  road  was  strewn  with  knapsacks,  muskets, 
clothing,  and  everything  that  could  retard  the  flight 
of  the  panic-stricken  foe,  the  guns  they  had  captured 
from  us  and  their  own  artillery  falling  into  our  hands. 

The  pursuit  did  not  cease  until  the  Confederates 
had  been  driven  through  Strasburg  to  Fisher’s  Hill 
and  beyond  to  Woodstock,  sixteen  miles  distant. 

The  victorious  army  that  night  bivouacked  in  their 
old  camps  along  Cedar  Creek,  and  though  they  had 
not  yet  tasted  food  and  though  the  dead  and  wounded 
lay  all  around  them,  nothing  could  repress  their  en- 
thusiasm over  the  great  victory ; as  the  news  of  the 
capture  of  prisoners  and  guns  from  the  pursuing  cav- 
alry in  the  advance,  came  to  them,  the  air  was  rent 
with  their  cheers. 

Thus  ends  the  record  of  one  of  the  most  wonderful 
contests  of  the  war,  of  which  Sheridan  was  pre-eminent- 
ly the  savior.  It  is  a battle  scene  which  stands  out  like 
a picture  on  the  page  of  history,  and  over  the  central 
figure  of  Sheridan  and  his  black  charger,  there  hovers 


380 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


a cloud  of  glory  whose  light  outlines  the  splendid 
spectacle  of  the  hero  on  his  “ eagle  flight  ” and  before 
which  all  hearts  yield  willing  homage. 

“ Hurrah  ! hurrah  for  Sheridan  ! 

Hurrah ! hurrah  for  horse  and  man ! 

And  when  their  statues  are  placed  on  high, 

Under  the  dome  of  the  Union  sky, 

The  American  soldier’s  Temple  of  Fame, 

There,  with  the  glorious  General’s  name, 

Be  it  said  in  letters  both  bold  and  bright ; 

‘Here  is  the  steed  that  saved  the  day 
By  carrying  Sheridan  into  the  fight 
From  Winchester — twenty  miles  away.  ’ n 


CHAPTER  X L I . 


"W"  ATNESBORO. 

Personal  Experiences. — Concealed  in  a Cypress  Swamp. — The  Union 
Guns. — Wheeler  at  Waynesboro. — The  Enemy’s  Attack  on  Atkins. 
Repulse. — Kilpatrick  Charges  the  Barricades,  Everything  Swept 
before  Them. — Valor  of  Union  Soldiers. — Wheeler  in  Disordered 
Flight. — Union  Pursuit. — Kilpatrick’s  Report. — Sherman’s  Com- 
plimentary Letter. — Incidents  in  the  Author’s  Escape. 

THE  name  of  Waynesboro  summons  back  to  remem- 
brance, with  all  the  vivid  power  attributed  to 
Aladdin’s  wonderful  lamp,  the  perilous  days  of  my 
escape  from  southern  prisons. 

Skirting  the  Savannah  River,  within  hearing  of  the 
railroad  trains  which  rolled  heavily  by  with  their  loads 
of  yelling  Confederate  soldiers,  we  heard,  with  a thrill 
of  joy,  the  heavy  boom  of  cannon  which  told  us  our 
friends  were  near. 

No  voice  of  welcome,  greeting  the  return  of  the 
wanderer  from  foreign  lands,  ever  sounded  sweeter  to 
home-sick  hearts  than  did  the  roar  of  Union  guns  to 
my  companion  and  myself  on  that  December  day. 
But  the  Savannah  River  flowed  between  us  and  liberty, 
and  had  we  ventured  from  our  place  of  concealment 
in  the  daytime,  certain  capture  would  have  awaited 
us. 

"We  did  not  then  know  that  Sherman  was  making 
his  grand  march  to  the  sea,  and  that  our  own  Kilpat- 


382 


BATTLES  FUR  THE  UNION. 


rick  was  contributing  liis  brilliant  generalship  to  the 
movement. 

The  enemy  had  been  steadily  driven  before  our  ad- 
vancing army,  and  on  the  second  of  December,  1864, 
the  Union  cavalry,  in  order  to  cover  the  movements 
of  the  infantry,  advanced  on  the  Waynesboro  Road. 
Waynesboro  is  a station  about  thirty  miles  south  of 
Augusta,  Georgia,  on  the  railway  connecting  that 
place  with  Milieu,  where  a junction  is  made  with  the 
Macon  and  Savannah  line. 

On  the  evening  of  the  second,  Wheeler  moved  to- 
wards Waynesboro,  making  a furious  attack  on  Colo- 
nel Atkins’  regiment,  three  miles  south  of  the  station. 
The  attack  was  bravely  repulsed,  and  Kilpatrick  re- 
ceiving orders  to  make  a reconnoisance  in  force  towards 
Waynesboro,  and  to  fight  Wheeler’s  cavalry  wherever 
found,  began  the  advance  the  next  morning.  Colonel 
Atkins,  Second  Brigade,  led  the  column,  and  Whee- 
ler’s skirmishers  were  soon  encountered  and  driven 
in.  Our  boys  then  advanced  to  take  a long  line  of 
barricades,  behind  which  the  dismounted  cavalry  of 
the  enemy  were  posted.  But  the  attack,  though  bold 
and  brave,  failed  of  success,  owing  to  a greater  num- 
ber being  massed  behind  the  defence  than  was  at  first 
supposed. 

The  second  attack  was  made  with  the  Tenth  Ohio 
and  Ninth  Michigan  Cavalry  in  column  of  fours  on 
the  right,  and  the  Ninth  Ohio  on  the  left.  The  Ninety- 
second  Illinois  Mounted  Infantry  went  into  the  fight 
dismounted.  Captain  Beebe’s  Battery,  Tenth  Wiscon- 
sin, opened  fire  on  the  barricades  at  a distance  of  six 
hundred  yards  and  compelled  the  enemy’s  artillery  to 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UN IOET. 


383 


■withdraw.  At  this  opportune  moment,  the  order,  to 
charge  was  given,  and  in  splendid  battle  array  the  line 
moved  forward  upon  the  enemy’s  works.  The  contest 
was  short  and  sharp,  but  the  Union  arms  were  vic- 
torious and  the  enemy  fled  from  their  defences. 

The  Confederates  fell  back  for  a hundred  yards  or 
so  and  endeavored  to  check  our  progress  by  counter 
charges.  At  one  time  during  the  fight  there  seemed 
to  be  a prospect  of  their  success,  but  Colonel  Heath 
with  the  Fifth  Ohio  Cavalry  made  a spirited  attack  on 
the  Confederate  flank  which  forced  them  to  give  away. 
They  then  fell  back  to  Waynesboro  and  intrenched 
themselves  in  a new  and  strong  position  behind  double 
lines  of  barricades. 

General  Kilpatrick  then  determined  to  break  the 
Confederate  center,  and  ordered  Colonel  Murray,  com- 
manding the  advance,  to  “ make  his  disposition  of 
troops  accordingly,  which  was  immediately  done.  The 
Eighth  Indiana  Cavalry,  commanded  by  Colonel  Jones, 
was  at  once  dismounted  and  sent  forward  as  skirmish- 
ers ; the  Ninth  Pennsylvania  Cavalry,  commanded  by 
Colonel  Jordan,  held  the  left  in  columns  of  four  by 
battalion  ; the  Third  Kentucky  Cavalry,  commanded 
by  Lieutenant-Colonel  King,  had  the’  center,  while 
Colonel  Baldwin,  with  the  Fifth  Kentucky  Cavalry, 
and  Captain  Foreman  with  the  Second  Kentucky  Cav- 
alry held  the  right.  ” The  notes  of  the  bugle  pealed 
forth  the  well-known  charge,  and  Kilpatrick’s  trusty 
squadrons  dashed  forward  with  resistless  valor,  driving 
the  Confederates  from  their  position  and  taking  posses- 
sion of  the  town.  Through  Waynesboro  and  beyond  it 
to  Brier  Creek,  eight  miles  away,  the  panic-stricken  foe 

16* 


384 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


fled,  and  tlie  hot  pursuit  was  kept  up.  The  railroad 
bridge  was  burned  and  the  track  destroyed,  after  which 
the  Union  forces  moved  to  Alexander,  where  they 
bivouacked  for  the  night.  The  enemy  was  completely 
routed,  and  Wheeler,  never  afterwards  able  to  rally 
his  demoralized  troops,  no  longer  molested  our  Cavalry, 
which  continued  its  glorious  march  to  the  sea.  In  his 
official  report  of  this  action,  Kilpatrick  says  : 

“ The  men  of  my  command  fought  most  bravely 
throughout  this  day,  and  it  is  impossible  to  single  out 
from  among  the  officers,  individual  cases  of  gallantry 
where  all  did  so  well.  * * * Judging  from 

the  enemy’s  killed  and  wounded,  left  on  the  field,  his 
loss  must  have  been  severe,  as  upwards  of  two  hund- 
red, left  in  our  hands,  were  wounded  by  the  sabre 
alone.” 

In  a letter  from  General  Sherman  which  Kilpatrick 
received  on  New  Year’s  Day,  1865,  the  following  com- 
plimentary allusions  occur : 

“ But  the  fact  that  to  you,  in  a great  measure,  we 
owe  the  march  of  four  strong  infantry  columns,  with 
heavy  trains  and  wagons,  over  three  hundred  miles, 
through  an  enemy’s  country,  without  the  loss  of  a 
single  wagon,  and  without  the  annoyance  of  cavalry 
dashes  on  our  flanks,  is  honor  enough  for  any  cavalry 
commander.” 

Had  my  comrade  and  myself  been  on  the  other  side 
of  the  Savannah  River  at  that  time,  we  should  have 
made  our  way  to  the  Union  lines  and  thenceforward 
shared  the  fortunes  and  glory  of  Kilpatrick’s  com- 
mand, in  its  march  to  the  sea.  But  instead  of  fight- 
ing for  country,  we  were  doomed  to  days  of  frightful 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


385 


silence  in  Cypress  swamps,  and  to  nights  of  weary 
travel,  with  bruised  and  bleeding  feet,  guided  only  by 
the  stars  above  and  urged  on  by  the  very  desperation 
of  hope,  despite  the  dangers  confronting  us  at  almost 
every  step. 

When  on  the  fourth  night  after  the  battle  of  Waynes- 
boro, we  succeeded  in  crossing  the  Savannah,  and 
landed  on  the  Georgia  shore,  our  conquering  armies 
had  swept  onward  towards  the  coast,  beyond  the  hope 
of  our  joining  them.  But  we  soon  struck  the  Union 
trail  and  followed  it  until  at  last  we  reached  our  lines 
at  Savannah.  Not  unfrequently,  we  breakfasted  or 
dined  on  the  remains  of  rations  thrown  aside  in  their 
vacated  camps,  and  the  country  was  full  of  evidences 
that  Sherman’s  army  had  passed  that  way. 

The  battle  of  Waynesboro  baptized  with  new  light 
the  silver  star  of  Kilpatrick,  blazing  always  “ in  the 
front  of  war,”  and  the  soldiers  of  his  command  must 
ever  feel  a just  pride  in  the  glory  accorded  to  their 
beloved  commander. 


CHAPTER  XLII. 

BENTONVUjLiE. 

The  Hostile  Country  of  the  Carolinas. — Sherman’s  Five  Hundred  Mile 
March. — The  Country  Desolated. — A Carnival  of  fire. — Arrival  at 
Bentonville. — Johnston  Encountered. — Battle  of  Bentonville. — The 
Enemy  Repulsed. — Bravery  of  Slocum’s  Men. — Sherman’s  Army 
Intrenched. — Entrance  into  Goldsboro. — The  Goal  Won. — Glorious 
Success. — Congratulatory  Order  of  General  Sherman. 

WHEN  Sherman  made  his  famous  march  through 
the  hostile  Carolinas,  the  most  important  battle 
of  the  campaign  was  fought  near  Bentonville. 

Sherman’s  army,  numbering  about  sixty-five  thou- 
sand men,  was  divided  into  four  corps  with  a wagon 
train  of  forty-five  hundred  vehicles,  all  told. 

This  immense  train,  if  placed  in  a single  line, 
would  have  been  forty-five  miles  long. 

After  resting  and  recuperating  at  Savannah  from 
the  fatigue  of  the  march  through  Georgia,  Sherman 
began  the  vast  enterprise  of  moving  his  army  through 
the  heart  of  two  hostile  states — Goldsboro,  on  the 
Neuse  river,  in  North  Carolina,  being  the  objective 
point  of  the  contemplated  campaign.  Goldsboro  was 
five  hundred  miles  to  the  northward  from  Savannah, 
but  in  order  to  take  possession  of  it  and  its  two  rail- 
roads leading  to  Wilmington  and  Beaufort,  a march 
unprecedented  in  military  history  was  undertaken  by  the 
intrepid  General  who  had  just  accomplished  a journey 


BATTLES  FOR  TUE  UNION. 


387 


of  scarcely  less  magnitude  across  the  state  of  Georgia. 
“ One  Rebel  army  lay  at  Charleston  on  his  right, 
another  at  Augusta,  on  his  left  — North  Carolina 
swarmed  with  troops,  while  every  step  he  advanced 
took  him  nearer  to  Lee’s  gathered  forces  at  Richmond. 
Large  rivers  were  to  be  crossed,  swamps  traversed  and 
battles  fought,  before  he  could  reach  the  goal  of  his 
wishes.”  A tract  of  country  forty  miles  wide  and 
reaching  from  the  sea-board  at  Savannah,  to  the  cen- 
ter of  North  Carolina,  -was  swept  by  the  desolating 
tread  of  armies,  harboring  a special  bitterness  for  the 
state  where  Rebellion  was  cradled  and  nursed.  “ In 
Georgia,  few  houses  were  burned  ; here,  few  escaped ; 
the  country  was  converted  into  one  vast  bonfire.  The 
pine  forests  were  fired,  the  resin  factories  were  fired, 
the  public  buildings  and  private  dwellings  were  fired. 
The  middle  of  the  finest  day  looked  black  and  gloomy, 
for  a dense  smoke  arose  on  all  sides,  clouding  the  very 
heavens.  At  night,  the  tall  pine  trees  seemed  so  many 
huge  pillars  of  fire.  The  flames  hissed  and  screeched 
as  they  fed  on  the  fat  resin  and  dry  branches,  imparting 
to  the  forests  a most  fearful  appearance.” 

Let  it  be  said  to  the  credit  of  our  generals  that  this 
kind  of  work  was  not  encouraged  by  them. 

On  the  eighteenth  of  March,  1865,  the  two  wings  of 
Sherman’s  army  under  Howard  and  Slocum,  had  ar- 
rived within  a short  distance  of  Goldsboro  where  their 
long  march  was  to  end.  Sherman  supposing  that  after 
the  repulse  of  the  enemy  near  Ayresboro,  a few  days 
previous,  no  further  opposition  would  be  encountered, 
struck  across  the  country  from  Slocum’s  command,  to 
visit  the  other  wing  of  his  army,  ten  miles  distant, 


388 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


under  Howard,  who  was  marching  towards  Goldsboro 
by  way  of  Bentonville.  Not  many  miles  had  been  trav- 
ersed, however,  before  he  heard  the  thunder  of  guns 
behind  him,  in  the  direction  of  Slocum’s  camp,  and 
couriers  soon  came  riding  up  with  the  intelligence  that 
the  Confederate  forces  under  Johnston  were  in  Slocum’s 
front  near  Bentonville.  General  Sherman  immedi- 
ately sent  word  to  Slocum  to  act  on  the  defensive 
until  reenforcements  could  arrive,  and  aids  were  dis- 
patched across  the  country  to  Blair  and  Howard. 
Blair,  who  was  at  that  time  near  Olive  Station,  was 
ordered  to  come  up  in  the  enemy’s  rear,  by  way  of 
Cox’s  Bridge  on  the  Neuse,  while  Howard  was  directed 
to  march  on  Bentonville,  leaving  his  wagon  train  be- 
hind him. 

Slocum,  nothing  alarmed  by  the  sudden  appearance 
of  the  enemy  in  his  front,  had  his  forces  well  posted, 
his  artillery  commanding  the  entire  front.  A second 
line  of  battle,  established  half  a mile  in  advance,  by 
the  division  of  Morgan,  received  the  first  onset  of  the 
foe.  The  Confederate  cavalry  was  first  encountered, 
but  their  infantry  and  artillery  soon  blocked  the  way 
— Johnston  having  come  up  from  Smithfield  in  the 
night,  with  the  intention  of  overwhelming  Sherman’s 
left  wing  before  the  other  columns  of  his  army  could 
come  to  its  assistance. 

The  first  dash  of  the  enemy  on  our  advance  line? 
sent  it  back  with  the  loss  of  three  guns  and  caissons. 
Two  divisions  of  the  Fourteenth  Corps  were  promptly 
deployed,  and  the  same  number  of  divisions  of  the 
Twentieth  Corps  were  brought  up  in  support  on  their 
left.  A line  of  barricades  was  also  hastily  con- 
structed. 


BATTLES  FOR  TUE  UNION. 


389 


The  thunder  of  artillery,  in  the  meantime,  had 
summoned  the  dashing  squadrons  of  Kilpatrick  to  the 
rescue  and  his  troopers  were  massed  on  the  left. 

At  four  o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  enemy  in  three 
columns,  rushed  forward  on  our  line  in  a wild  charge. 
But  the  fire  from  our  artillery  and  the  steady  blaze  of 
musketry  which  Sherman’s  men  poured  into  the 
enemy’s  ranks  sent  their  first  column  reeling  back. 
Unmindful  of  the  repulse  of  their  comrades,  the 
second  column  of  the  enemy  rushed  forward  charging 
us  with  a yell.  But  the  corps  of  Davis  stood  like  a 
rock  in  the  path  of  this  living  wave  and  sent  it  dis- 
comfited hack.  Six  times  in  the  space  of  an  hour  did 
the  gallant  left  wing  withstand  the  assaults  of  the  foe 
led  by  Johnston  in  person.  Not  an  inch  of  ground 
was  yielded.  The  last  charge  broke  Slocum’s  line, 
hut  quickly  re-forming,  a brilliant  counter  charge  was 
executed,  which  drove  the  enemy  back.  “ So  close 
and  desperate  was  the  combat  that  many  of  the  Rebel 
dead  lay  within  our  lines  and  even  around  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Generals.” 

Orders  were  sent  Slocum  that  night  to  call  up  the 
two  divisions  guarding  his  wagon  trains  and  Hazen’s 
Divison  of  the  Fifteenth  Corps — these  reenforcements 
enabling  him  to  hold  his  ground,  as  he  thought,  in 
spite  of  the  greatly  outnumbering  force  of  the  Con- 
federates. Dispatches  from  Schofield  and  Terry  an- 
nounced the  former  in  possession  of  Kinston  and  able 
to  reach  Goldsboro  on  the  twenty-first,  the  latter  being 
near  Faison’s  Depot. 

Schofield  was  ordered  to  push  for  Goldsboro,  and 
Terry  to  lay  a pontoon  bridge  over  the  Neuse  River  at 
Cox’s  Bridge. 


390 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


“ At  daybreak,  on  the  morning  of  the  twentieth, 
Hazen’s  division  of  the  Fifteenth  Corps,  Geary’s  of 
the  Twentieth  and  Baird’s  of  the  Fourteenth,  reported 
on  the  field,  having  marched  all  night  from  the  new 
Goldsboro  road  where  the  trains  were  moving.” 

Howard  succeeded  in  effecting  a junction  with 
Slocum,  on  his  left,  and  by  four  o’clock  in  the  after- 
noon a strong  line  of  battle  faced  the  enemy.  John- 
ston, therefore,  did  not  find  his  coveted  opportunity 
of  fighting  Sherman’s  army  in  detail,  and  his  well- 
formed  plans  were  thus  rendered  abortive. 

On  the  rainy  day  of  the  twenty-first,  Schofield 
entered  Goldsboro  with  little  opposition,  and  at  the 
same  time  Terry  was  effecting  a passage  of  the  Neuse, 
ten  miles  above  at  Cox’s  Bridge.  Mower’s  division 
of  the  Seventeenth  Corps,  on  the  extreme  right, 
nearly  succeeded  in  cutting  off  the  enemy’s  only  line 
of  retreat  at  Mill  Creek. 

At  this  juncture  of  affairs,  Sherman  ordered  the 
skirmish  line  forward  in  a general  attack  and  the  con- 
cluding engagement  of  the  campaign  took  place. 
Johnston  retreated  to  Smithfield  that  night  and  the 
Union  army  went  into  camp  around  Goldsboro — the 
goal  of  its  desires.  Here  ended  the  wonderful  march 
begun  two  months  before  at  the  southermost  limit  of 
the  Carolinas.  The  losses  of  the  left  wing  at  Benton- 
ville  were  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  forty-seven 
in  killed  and  wounded,  one  hundred  and  forty-five  of 
this  number  being  killed,  exclusive  of  nine  officers 
who  met  their  death  on  that  heroic  field. 

The  right  wing  under  Howard  lost  three  hundred 
and  ninety-nine  men,  thirty-seven  of  whom  were 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


391 


killed.  Slocum  took  three  hundred  and  thirty-eight 
prisoners.  Kilpatrick’s  cavalry,  being  held  in  reserve, 
experienced  few  if  any  losses.  The  object  of  the  great 
march  having  been  accomplished,  Sherman  turned  his 
army  over  to  Schofield  and  went  to  City  Point,  ready 
for  the  next  move  on  the  chess-board  of  military  ope- 
rations. Before  leaving  he  issued  the  following  con- 
gratulatory order  to  his  army  : — 

“ Head-Quarters  Military  Division  of  the  Mississippi, 

“ In  the  Field,  near  Bentonville,  N.  C., 

“ March  22,  1865. 

“ special  field  orders — No.  35. 

“ The  General  Commanding  announces  to  the  army  that  yes- 
terday it  beat,  on  its  chosen  ground,  the  concentrated  armies  of 
our  enemy,  who  has  fled  in  disorder,  leaving  his  dead,  wounded, 
and  prisoners  in  our  hands,  and  burning  his  bridges  on  his 
retreat. 

“ On  the  same  day,  Major-General  Schofield,  from  Newbern, 
entered  and  occupied  Goldsboro’,  and  Major-General  Terry, 
from  Wilmington,  secured  Cox’s  Bridge  crossing,  and  laid  a 
pontoon  bridge  across  Neuse  River,  so  that  our  campaign  has 
resulted  in  a glorious  success.  After  a march  of  the  most  ex- 
traordinary character,  nearly  five  hundred  miles,  over  swamps 
and  rivers  deemed  impassable  to  others,  at  the  most  inclement 
season  of  the  year,  and  drawing  our  chief  supplies  from  a poor 
and  wasted  country,  we  reach  our  destination  in  good  health 
and  condition. 

“ i thank  the  army,  and  assure  it  that  our  Government  and 
people  honor  them  for  this  new  display  of  the  physical  and 
moral  qualities  which  reflect  honor  upon  the  whole  nation. 

“ You  shall  now  have  rest,  and  all  the  supplies  that  can  be 
brought  from  the  rich  granaries  and  store-houses  of  our  mag- 
nificent country,  before  again  embarking  on  new  and  untried 
dangers. 

“ W.  T.  Sherman,  Major-  General  Commanding .” 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 


FIVE  PORKS. 

Grant  and  Sherman  in  Consultation. — The  End  Drawing  Near. — 
Grand  Combination  of  Movements. — Sheridan  Et  route  for  Five 
Forks. — Importance  of  Holding  Five  Forks. — The  March  Through 
the  Rain. — Engagement  on  the  White  Oak  Road. — The  Union 
Ranks  Victorious. — The  Sunday  Fight. — Grant  Takes  Advantage 
of  His  Victory. — Captured  Prisoners. — Davis  Flying  from  Rich’ 
mond. — Evacuation  of  Richmond  and  Petersburg. — The  End  Draw’ 
ing  Near. 

WHEN  Sherman  left  Goldsboro  for  City  Point  after 
the  conquering  sweep  of  his  armies  through 
the  Carolinas,  it  was  ou  no  less  a mission  than  to  con- 
sult with  Grant  concerning  the  next  great  move  on 
the  chess-board  of  war. 

At  City  Point  the  two  generals  met  and  held  anx- 
ious consultation.  President  Lincoln  was  there,  also, 
and  cordially  welcomed  the  hero  of  the  “ Great  March.” 
On  the  deliberations  of  these  men  hung  the  fate  of 
a nation  ; but  when  their  council  was  ended,  the  last 
battle  of  the  war  had.  been  planned.  Every  sign  in 
the  military  heavens  indicated  a speedy  termination 
of  the  war,  but  a false  move  at  this  crisis  might 
overthrow  the  good  results  already  obtained  and  pro- 
long the  contest  indefinitely.  Well  might  the  great 
Chiefs  of  the  nation  be  full  of  anxiety.  But  though 
the  emergency  was  vast  their  genius  mastered  it. 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


393 


While  Sherman  was  destroying  railroads  and  crip- 
pling military  resources  in  South  Carolina,  General 
Stoneman  was  doipg  the  same  work  in  the  direction 
of  Lynchburg,  Virginia,  and  Thomas  was  marching  a 
cavalry  force  of  ten  thousand  men  into  the  heart  of 
Alabama.  At  the  same  time,  Sheridan,  after  having 
driven  Early  out  of  Waynesboro  and  making  large 
captures  of  prisoners  and  munitions  of  war,  was 
sweeping  forward  toward  Richmond,  “sending  con- 
sternation into  the  Rebel  Capital.”  Demolished  rail- 
roads, broken  canal-locks  and  burned  bridges  marked 
the  path  of  his  army. 

With  this  grand  combination  of  movements,  Grant 
thought  that  the  “ Rebellion  would  have  nothing  left 
to  stand  on,”  but  he  did  not  know  that  the  battle  he 
was  preparing,  would  end  our  four  years  of  fighting. 

On  March  twenty-seventh,  1865,  Sheridan  joined 
the  army  of  the  Potomac  and  was  immediately  sent 
around  the  Confederate  left,  to  take  possession  of  the 
Soutliside  and  Danville  railroads,  thus  holding  Lee’s 
line  of  retreat  in  case  of  the  evacuation  of  Richmond. 
But  Grant  wished  to  strike  the  enemy  before  he  could 
have  a chance  to  retreat. 

Two  days  before  the  commencement  of  Sheridan’s 
movement,  the  enemy  made  a sudden  dash  on  Fort 
Stedman  in  front  of  the  Ninth  Corps,  and  carried  it 
by  assault.  It  was  a bold  and  unexpected  stroke,  and 
the  enemy  seizing  our  guns,  turned  them  upon  us. 

But  the  Union  artillery  blazed  upon  the  victors  from 
all  quarters  with  such  persistent  energy,  that  they 
were  obliged  to  abandon  their  newly-captured  prize. 
In  this  assault,  our  loss  was  nine  hundred  and  nine- 


394 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


teen,  and  we  took  nineteen  hundred  prisoners.  The 
other  Corps  were  ordered  to  advance,  which  they  did, 
capturing  the  Rebel  picket-line  in. front  of  the  Second 
and  Sixth  Corps,  and  taking  eight  hundred  and  thirty- 
four  prisoners. 

After  the  consultation  between  Grant  and  Sherman, 
it  was  decided  that  “ Sherman  should  return  to  his 
army,  and,  making  a feint  as  if  to  move  up  the  Reuse 
to  Raleigh,  march  rapidly  north  to  the  line  of  the 
Roanoke.  This  would  be  closing  the  last  door  on  Lee, 
and  Grant  knew  that  the  moment  Sherman  approach- 
ed the  river,  the  former  would  evacute  Richmond.” 

It  is  a matter  of  wonder  that  Lee  remained  so  long 
in  the  Confederate  Capital.  Perhaps  he  feared  that 
his  army  might  melt  away  through  its  large  proportion 
of  desertions,  should  he  leave  his  defences  at  Rich- 
mond. Or  perhaps  he  thought  Johnston  quite  able  to 
cope  with  Sherman  and  arrest  his  progress  in  the  north. 
But  Grant  was  full  of  anxiety  lest  the  enemy  should 
slip  from  his  grasp,  by  effecting  a junction  with  John- 
ston, thus  compelling  new  plans  and  a new  campaign. 

On  the  morning  of  March  twenty-ninth,  Sheridan 
commenced  his  advance,  and  reached  Dinwiddie  Court 
House  the  same  night.  Sheridan  held  our  extreme 
left,  Parke  the  Union  right,  whilfe  Wright,  Ord,  Hum- 
phreys, and  Warren  occupied  the  intermediate  posi- 
tions. On  the  thirtieth,  Sheridan  pushed  forward 
towards  Five  Forks,  in  a drenching  rain  which  made 
the  roads  impassible  for  wagon-trains  and  artillery. 

Five  Forks  is  a point  in  the  woods  where  live  roads 
meet,  three  of  which  lead  back  to  the  Southside  rail- 
road. The  possession  of  the  junction  would  give  our 


BATTLES  FOR  TEE  UNION. 


395 


forces  a choice  of  advance,  and  the  point  was  there- 
fore a strong  strategic  one.  The  White  Oak  road  was 
filled  with  defences,,  constructed  of  logs  and  earth,  and 
the  approaches  to  it  were  blocked  by  felled  trees,  be- 
hind which  sharpshooters  were  stationed. 

On  the  morning  of  the  thirty-first,  Sheridan  took 
possession  of  Five  Forks,  and  Warren  advanced  on 
the  enemy’s  fortifications  down  the  White  Oak  Road. 
Ayres’  division  had  the  advance,  and  drove  the  Con- 
federates back  upon  their  main  works  a mile  and  a half 
below  the  White  Oak  Road.  At  this  point  the  enemy 
made  a grand  rally  and  rushed  with  such  impetuous 
force  on  the  Union  advance,  that  Ayres’  division, 
though  making  stubborn  resistance,  was  compelled  to 
give  way.  The  commands  of  Crawford  and  Griffin, 
which  came  next,  were  also  driven  back.  But  now, 
Warren  being  re-enforced  by  a division  of  the  Second 
Corps,  rallied  his  broken  lines  and  charging  the  enemy, 
gained  possession  of  the  White  Oak  Road.  At  this 
juncture,  however,  the  enemy,  advancing  in  heavy  force 
against  Sheridan,  drove  him  from  his  position  back  to 
Dinwiddie  Court-House. 

Here,  Sheridan,  instead  of  falling  back  on  the  main 
army,  “ deployed  his  cavalry  on  foot,  leaving  only 
mounted  men  enough  to  take  charge  of  the  horses. 
This  compelled  the  enemy  to  deploy  over  a vast  extent 
of  woods  and  broken  country,  and  made  his  progress 
slow.”  Sheridan  sent  word  to  Grant  how  affairs  stood, 
and  the  Fifth  Corps  with  General  McKenzie’s  cavalry 
was  at  once  ordered  to  his  aid.  The  re-enforcements 
reached  him  at  midnight  on  the  thirty-first,  and  in  the 
morning  he  again  marched  on  Five  Forks.  After  driv- 


396  BATTLES  FOB  THE  UNION.  " 

ing  the  Confederates  into  their  intrenchments,  a gen- 
eral attack  was  ordered.  “ The  Fifth  Corps  on  reach- 
ing the  White  Oak  Road,  made  a left  wheel,  and  burst 
on  the  enemy’s  left  flank  and  rear  like  a tornado,  and 
pushed  rapidly  on — orders  having  been  given  that  if 
the  enemy  was  routed,  there  should  be  no  halt  to  re- 
form broken  lines.  As  stated  before,  the  firing  of  the 
Fifth  Corps  was  the  signal  to  General  Merritt  to  as- 
sault, which  was  promptly  responded  to,  and  the  works 
of  the  enemy  were  soon  carried  at  several  points  by  our 
brave  infantrymen.  The  Confederates  were  driven  from 
their  strong  line  of  works  and  completely  routed  ; the 
Fifth  Corps  doubling  up  their  left  flank  in  confusion, 
and  the  cavalry  of  General  Merritt  dashing  on  to  the 
White  Oak  Road,  capturing  and  turning  their  artillery 
upon  them,  and  riding  into  their  broken  ranks,  so 
demoralized  them,  that  they  made  no  serious  stand 
after  their  line  was  carried,  but  took  to  flight  in  disor- 
der. Between  five  and  six  thousand  prisoners  fell 
into  our  hands,  and  the  fugitives  were  driven  westward 
and  were  pursued  until  long  after  dark  by  Merritt’s 
and  McKenzie’s  cavalry,  for  a distance  of  six  miles.” 

General  Grant  received  the  report  of  this  victorious 
assault  just  after  dark  and  in  order  to  retain  the  posi- 
tion, immediately  orderedMiles’division  of  Humphrey’s 
Corps  to  re-enforce  Sheridan  at  Five  Forks.  A “ heavy 
bombardment  of  the  enemy’s  lines  ” was  ordered  to 
be  kept  up  during  the  night. 

As  the  first  hint  of  dawn  began  to  streak  the  sky 
on  the  next  morning,  our  army  swept  forward  in  a gen- 
eral attack,  and  the  battle  of  the  previous  day  was  re- 
newed. Wright  carried  his  whole  corps  through  the 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


397 


enemy’s  lines  in  liis  front,  capturing  thousands  of 
prisoners  and  a large  number  of  guns.  Pushing  for- 
ward, he  met  the  corps  of  Ord,  and  making  a junction 
with  him,  hemmed  the  enemy  in  Petersburg  on  that 
side  of  them,  while  Humphreys  joined  Wright  on  the 
left,  and  Gibbon's  Corps  captured  the  works  south  of 
Petersburg. 

The  battle  now  raged  furiously  along  the  entire  line, 
the  Confederates  fighting  with  great  desperation.  But 
at  this  juncture,  Sheridan  charged  down  upon  the  en- 
emy’s flank  and  rear  with  such  force  as  to  drive  them 
from  their  defences  panic-striken.  Large  numbers  of 
prisoners  and  guns  fell  into  our  hands. 

While  the  battle  was  raging,  President  Lincoln  and 
the  President  of  the  Confederacy  were  both  awaiting 
the  result  of  the  contest  within  a few  miles  of  each 
other.  Lincoln  was  at  Grant’s  headquarters  before 
Petersburg,  thoughtful  and  anxious.  Davis  was  attend- 
ing church  in  Richmond.  “ In  the  midst  of  the  ser- 
vices, an  orderly  splashed  with  mud  strode  up  the  aisle 
and  handed  him  a paper.  Glancing  at  its  contents, 
he  saw  that  all  was  over,  and  a few  hours  afterwards, 
he  had  left  behind  him  his  Capital  forever,  and  was 
fleeing  towards  Danville.”  That  night  the  Confed- 
erate army  withdrew  from  Richmond  and  Petersburg 
and  commenced  the  retreat  which  ended  in  Lee’s  sur- 
render. 


CHAPTER  XLIY. 


T EE  33  SURRENDER.. 

The  Last  Act  in  the  Drama. — The  Historic  Farm-House. — Events 
Succeeding  the  Battle  of  Five  Forks. — Lee’s  Army  Hemmed  in. — 
Engagement  at  Barnesville. — The  Enemy  Hopelessly  Surrounded. — 
Extermination  or  Surrender. — Triumphant  Entrance  into  Rich- 
mond.— Lincoln’s  Levee  in  the  Confederate  Capital. — The  Last 
Act. — Palm  Sunday  Anniversary. — Universal  Rejoicing. 

THE  last  act  in  the  great  drama  of  the  war  took 
place  without  dramatic  accessory.  There  was  no 
startling  tableau,  with  the  chief  actors  grouped  in 
effective  attitudes,  surrounded  by  their  attendants. 
No  spreading  tree  lent  its  romance  to  the  occasion,  as 
some  artists  have  fondly  supposed. 

A plain  farm  house  between  the  lines  was  selected 
by  General  Lee  for  the  surrender,  and  the  ceremony 
of  that  act  was  short  and  simple.  The  noble  victor 
did  not  complete  the  humiliation  of  the  brave  van- 
quished by  any  triumphal  display  or  blare  of  trumpets. 
In  his  magnanimity  he  even  omitted  the  customary 
usage  of  allowing  the  victorious  troops  to  pass  through 
the  enemy’s  lines  and  witness  their  surrender.  The 
two  great  commanders  met  with  courteous  salutation. 
General  Lee  being  attended  only  by  one  of  his  aides. 
General  Grant  sat  down  at  a table  in  the  barely  fur- 
nished room  and  wrote  in  lead  pencil  the  terms  of 
capitulation  to  which  Lee  dictated  an  agreement  in 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


399 


writing.  His  secretary,  Colonel  Marshall,  and  Colonel 
Badeau,  the  secretary  of  General  Grant,  made  copies 
of  the  agreement  from  the  same  bottle  of  ink. 

“ The  exchange  of  these  notes  terminated  the  inter- 
view. It  was  singularly  simple  ; utterly  bald  of  all 
rhetorical  flourishes  and  ceremonies ; but  its  very 
simplicity  gives  it  an  interest  and  dignity  that  the 
most  excessive  formalities  might  fail  to  furnish.  * 
* * * The  manners  of  both  commanders 

were  easy,  self-possessed,  those  of  plain  gentlemen  in 
ordinary  intercourse,  and  it  is  remarkable  that  no  two 
men  of  important  station  could  be  found  within  the 
limits  of  America  who  so  equally  abliored  the  theatri- 
cal as  General  Ulysses  S.  Grant  and  General  Robert 
E.  Lee.” 

The  final  situation  of  the  Confederate  army  before 
its  surrender,  was  indeed  desperate — its  environment 
hopeless.  Hemmed  in  at  Appomattox  Court  House, 
on  a strip  of  land  between  the  Appomattox  and  James 
Rivers,  the  Union  army  nearly  surrounded  it  on  all 
sides.  Sheridan  was  in  front,  Meade  in  the  rear,  and 
Ord  south  of  the  Court  House.  Lee  had  no  alterna- 
tive other  than  the  wholesale  slaughter  of  his  reduced 
army  or  its  surrender  to  Federal  authority.  He  wisely 
chose  the  latter. 

The  decisive  battle  of  Five  Forks  had  put  his  army 
to  rout  and  sent  it  in  rapid  retreat  towards  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Southside  and  Danville  railroads  at  Burkes- 
ville.  The  Union  troops  pressed  forward  in  pursuit, 
and  it  became  a vital  question  which  would  reach  the 
Junction  first.  Between  Petersburg,  their  point  of 
starting,  and  their  destination  at  Burkesville  the  dis- 

17 


400 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


tance  was  fifty-three  miles.  The  roads  were  bad  and 
the  troops  tired  with  two  days  fighting  ; but  they  pushed 
on  with  determination  in  this  race  which  was  destined 
to  decide  the  fate  of  two  armies. 

On  the  fourth,  Lee  was  at  Amelia  Court  House, 
while  Sheridan,  pushing  towards  the  Danville  railroad 
struck  it  at  Jettersville  on  the  fifth,  whither  Meade 
with  the  Second  and  Sixth  Corps  followed  him.  Two 
divisions  of  the  Ninth  Corps,  moving  on  the  Cox  Road, 
reached  Wellesville,  twenty-one  miles  from  Burkesville, 
on  the  same  day.  “ On  the  night  of  the  fifth,  the 
army  lay  in  line  of  battle,  stretched  across  three  or 
four  miles  of  country,  and  facing  substantially  north- 
ward. Custer’s  division  of  cavalry  lay  on  the  right 
flank,  and  McKenzie’s  on  the  left.  The  infantry  line 
was  formed  with  the  Sixth  Corps  on  the  right,  the 
Fifth  in  the  center  and  the  Second  on  the  left.  On 
the  next  day  the  Sixth  Corps  was  transferred  from  the 
right  to  the  left,  and  the  whole  army  had,  before  noon, 
marched  about  five  miles  in  the  direction  of  Amelia 
Court  House.”  At  this  point,  learning  that  the  enemy 
was  moving  in  the  direction  of  Farmville,  the  course 
of  the  Second  and  Fifth  Corps  was  immediately 
changed  to  a northwesterly  direction.  At  about  four 
o’clock  in  the  afternoon  of  April  sixth,  the  Second 
and  Sixth  Corps  engaged  the  enemy,  putting  him  to 
rout  and  capturing  many  prisoners.  Generals  Ewell 
and  Custis  were  among  the  number.  On  the  seventh, 
the  Second  Corps  encountered  Lee  at  Barnesville  six- 
teen miles  west  of  Burkesville,  where  a sharp  contest 
took  place  and  Lee  was  again  forced  to  retire.  He 
retreated  in  the  direction  of  Lynchburg  but  Hancock’s, 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


401 


column  had  marched  from  Winchester  on  the  fourth 
and  stood  ready  to  meet  the  enemy  at  Lynchburg, 
should  occasion  require.  The  remnant  of  Lee’s  once 
proud  army  was  now  hopelessly  environed.  In  a few 
days  it  had  been  reduced  from  a force  of  fifty  thousand 
to  one  of  twenty,  through  its  large  numbers  of  deser- 
tions and  the  losses  inflicted  in  battle.  It  took  no 
prophet  to  foretell  now  the  fate  of  Lee’s  army.  Every- 
one could  see  that  its  doom  was  sealed. 

Meantime,  on  the  night  of  that  eventful  Sunday 
when  Davis  left  his  church  services  to  take  refuge  in 
flight,  Petersburg  and  the  boasted  Capital  of  the  Con- 
federacy were  both  evacuated.  At  daybreak  on  Mon- 
day morning  General  Weitzel  marched  the  Army  of 
the  James  into  the  streets  of  Richmond,  and  “ was 
greeted  with  hearty  welcome  from  the  mass  of  the 
people.”  The  Mayor  went  out  to  meet  him  in  order 
to  surrender  the  city,  but  missed  him  on  the  road. 
The  city  had  been  fired  and  the  principal  part  of  Main 
street  was  in  ruins.  The  bridges  also  were  destroyed. 
One  thousand  prisoners  were  taken  besides  five  thou- 
sand wounded  lying  in  hospitals.  With  a kind  of 
poetic  justice,  Libby  Prison  and  Castle  Thunder  were 
immediately  filled  with  Confederate  prisoners  of  war. 

Two  days  after  Davis  fled  from  Richmond,  President 
Lincoln  made  a triumphal  entry  into  the  city  and  held 
a levee  in  the  Confederate  Presidential  mansion. 
When  Grant  had  reached  Farmville,  on  the  seventh, 
in  his  pursuit  of  Lee,  lie  addressed  him  the  following 
note : 


402 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


"April  7. 

“ General  E.  E.  Lee,  Commanding  S.  C.  A : 

“ General : — The  result  of  the  last  week  must  convince  you 
of  the  hopelessness  of  further  resistance  on  the  part  of  the  Army 
of  Northern  Virginia  in  this  struggle.  I feel  that  it  is  so,  and 
regard  it  as  my  duty  to  shift  from  myself  the  responsibility  of 
any  further  effusion  of  blood,  by  asking  of  you  the  surrender 
of  that  portion  of  the  C.  S.  army  known  as  the  Army  of  North- 
ern Virginia. 

“ Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

“ U.  S.  Grant, 

“Lieutenant-General  Commanding  Armies  of  the  United  States.” 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  eighth,  before  leaving 
Fannville,  Grant  received  the  accompanying  response 
to  which  he  immediately  replied : 

“ April  7. 

“ General : — I have  received  your  note  of  this  date.  Though 
not  entertaining  the  opinion  you  express  of  the  hopelessness  of 
further  resistance  on  the  part  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia, 
I reciprocate  your  desire  to  avoid  useless  effusion  of  blood,  and 
therefore,  before  considering  your  proposition,  ask  the  terms 
you  will  offer,  on  condition  of  its  surrender. 

“R.  E.  Lee,  General. 

“ To  Lieutenant-General  U.  S.  Grant,  Commanding  Armies 
of  the  United  States.” 

“ April  8. 

“To  Genwal  E.  E.  Lee , Commanding  Confederate  States  Army : 

“General: — Your  note  of  last  evening,  in  reply  to  mine  of 
the  same  date,  asking  the  conditions  on  which  I will  accept  the 
surrender  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  is  just  received. 

“ In  reply,  I would  say  that  peace  being  my  first  desire,  there 
is  but  one  condition  that  I insist  upon,  viz: 

“ That  the  men  surrendered  shall  be  disqualified  for  taking 
up  arms  against  the  Government  of  the  United  States  until  pro- 
perly exchanged. 

“ I will  meet  you,  or  designate  officers  to  meet  any  officers 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNIOX. 


403 


you  may  name  for  the  same  purpose,  at  any  point  agreeable  to 
you,  for  the  purpose  of  arranging  definitely  the  terms  upon 
which  the  surrender  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  will  be 
received. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

II.  S.  Grant. 

“Lieutenant-General  Commanding  the  Armies  of  the  United 
States.” 

The  pursuit  was  resumed  on  the  eighth,  and  about 
midnight  of  that  date  General  Grant,  who  was  with 
Meade’s  column,  received  the  following  communication 
from  General  Lee  : 

“ April  8. 

General  : — I received  at  a late  hour  your  note  of  to-day  in 
answer  to  mine  of  yesterday. 

“I  did  not  intend  to  propose  the  surrender  of  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia,  but  to  ask  the  terms  of  your  proposition. 
To  be  frank,  I do  not  think  the  emergency  has  arisen  to  call 
for  the  surrender.  But  as  the  restoration  of  peace  should  be  the 
sole  object  of  all,  I desire  to  know  whether  your  proposals 
Would  tend  to  that  end. 

“I  cannot,  therefore,  meet  you  with  a view  to  surrender  the 
Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  but  so  far  as  your  proposition  may 
affect  the  Confederate  States  forces  under  my  command,  and 
lead  to  the  restoration  of  peace,  I should  be  pleased  to  meet 
you  at  ten  a.  m.,  to-morrow,  on  the  old  stage-road  to  Richmond, 
between  the  picket  lines  of  the  two  armies.  Very  respectfully, 
your  obedient  servant, 

“R.  E.  LEE, 

“ General  Confederate  States  Armies. 
“To  Lieutenant-General  Grant, 

Commanding  Armies  of  the  United  States.''1 

In  Grant’s  official  report  he  says, — “ Early  on  the 
morning  of  the  ninth  I returned  him  an  answer  as  fol- 
lows, and  immediately  started  to  join  the  column  south 
of  the  Appomattox  : — 


17* 


404 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNIOK. 


“April  9. 

“ General  R.  E.  Lee , Commanding  C.  S.  A : 

“ General  Your  note  of  yesterday  is  received.  As  I have 
no  authority  to  treat  on  the  subject  of  peace,  the  meeting  pro- 
posed at  ten  a.  m.,  to-day,  could  lead  to  no  good.  I will  state 
however,  General,  that  I am  equally  anxious  for  peace  with  your- 
self ; and  the  whole  North  entertain  the  same  feeling.  The  terms 
upon  which  peace  can  be  had  are  well  understood.  By  the 
South  laying  down  their  arms  they  will  hasten  that  most  desir- 
able event,  save  thousands  of  human  lives,  and  hundreds  of 
millions  of  property  not  yet  destroyed. 

“ Sincerely  hoping  that  all  our  difficulties  may  be  settled 
without  the  loss  of  another  life,  I subscribe  myself,  very  respect- 
fully, your  obedient  servant, 

“ TJ.  S.  GRANT, 

“ Lieutenant-  General  U.  S.  A .” 

“ On  the  morning  of  the  ninth,  General  Ord’s  com- 
mand and  the  Fifth  Corps,  reached  Appomattox  Sta- 
tion, just  as  the  enemy  was  making  a desperate  effort 
to  break  through  our  cavalry.  The  infantry  was  at 
once  thrown  in.  Soon  after,  a white  flag  was  received 
requesting  a suspension  of  hostilities  pending  negotia- 
tions for  a surrender. 

“ Before  reaching  General  Sheridan’s  head-quarters, 
I received  the  following  from  General  Lee  : — 

“ April  9,  1865. 

“ General  : — I received  your  note  of  this  morning  on  the 
picket  line,  whither  I had  come  to  meet  you  and  ascertain  defi- 
nitely what  terms  were  embraced  in  your  proposition  of  yester- 
day with  reference  to  the  surrender  of  this  army. 

“ I now  request  an  interview  in  accordance  with  the  offer 
contained  in  your  letter  of  yesterday  for  that  purpose.  Very 
respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

“ R.  E.  LEE,  General. 

“ To  Lieutenant-General  Grant, 

Commanding  United  States  Armies .” 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION.  4Q5 

To  which  communication  this  answer  was  returned: 

“ April  9. 

“ General  R.  E.  Lee , Commanding  Confederate  States  Armies  : 

“Your  note  of  this  date  is  but  this  moment  (11.50  A.  M.,)  re- 
ceived. 

“ In  consequence  of  my  having  passed  from  the  Richmond 
and  Lynchburg  road  to  the  Farmville  and  Lynchburg  road,  I am 
at  this  writing,  about  four  miles  west  of  Walter’s  Church,  and 
will  push  forward  to  the  front  for  the  purpose  of  meeting  you. 

“ Notice  sent  to  me  on  this  road  where  you  wish  the  inter- 
view to  take  place  will  meet  me.  Very  respectfully  your  obe- 
dient servant, 

U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant  General." 

“ The  interview  was  held  at  Appomattox  Court 
House,  the  result  of  which  is  set  forth  in  the  follow- 
ing correspondence  : — 

“Appomattox  Court  House,  Va.,  April  9. 

“ General  R.  E.  Lee , Commanding  C.  S.  A.  : 

“ In  accordance  with  the  substance  of  my  letter  to  you  of  the 
8th  instant,  I propose  to  receive  the  surrender  of  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia,  on  the  following  terms,  to  wit : 

“ Rolls  of  all  the  officers  and  men  to  be  made  in  duplicate, 
one  copy  to  be  given  to  an  officer  designated  by  me,  the  other 
to  be  detained  by  such  officers  as  you  may  designate. 

“ The  officers  to  give  their  individual  paroles  not  to  take  arms 
against  the  United  States  until  properly  exchanged,  and  each 
company  or  regimental  commander  sign  a like  parole  for  the 
men  of  their  commands. 

“The  arms,  artillery,  and  public  property  to  be  packed  and 
stacked,  and  turned  over  to  the  officers  appointed  by  me  to  re- 
ceive them.  This  will  not  embrace  the  side-arms  of  the  officers, 
nor  their  private  horses  or  baggage. 

“ This  done,  each  officer  and  man  will  be  allowed  to  return  to 
their  homes,  not  to  be  disturbed  by  United  States  authority  so 
long  as  they  observe  their  parole  and  the  laws  in  force  where 
they  may  reside. 

Very  respectfully, 

“ U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieutenant-  General .” 


406 


BA  TTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


“ Head-Quarters,  Army  op  Northern  Virginia, 

April  9,1865. 

General  : — I received  your  letter  of  this  date,  containing  the 
terms  of  the  surrender  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  as  pro- 
posed by  you.  As  they  are  substantially  the  same  as  those  ex- 
pressed in  your  letter  of  the  8th  instant,  they  are  accepted.  I 
will  proceed  to  designate  the  proper  officers  to  carry  the  stipu- 
lations into  effect. 

‘‘R  E.  LEE,  General. 

“ Lieutenant-General  U.  S.  Grant.” 

When  the  last  letter  was  received,  “Grant hastened 
to  the  front  where  Lee  was  awaiting  him,”  and  the 
concluding  scene  in  the  drama  of  Rebellion  was  then 
rehearsed.  From  the  beginning  of  the  last  forward 
movement  until  the  surrender,  about  ten  thousand  of 
the  enemy’s  force  had  been  killed  and  wounded  in 
battle,  over  twenty  thousand  prisoners  had  been  taken 
or  had  deserted,  and  one  hundred  and  seventy  pieces 
of  artillery  were  captured. 

It  was  Palm  Sunday,  April  ninth,  1865,  when  the 
capitulation  was  signed,  in  the  plain,  frame  dwelling 
near  Appomattox  Court  House. 

One  is  often  struck  with  the  curious  coincidences — 
the  apparent  sympathy  between  nature  and  important 
human  events.  The  dying  hours  of  Cromwell  and 
Napoleon  were  marked  by  violent  storms.  Omens  in 
earth  and  sky  were  the  precursors  of  the  death  of 
Julius  Caesar  and  King  Duncan.  A great  comet  her- 
alded the  opening  of  the  war,  and  Palm  Sunday — the 
day  which  commemorates  the  victorious  entry  of  Christ 
into  Jerusalem,  ushered  in  the  welcome  reign  of  peace. 
The  time  was  auspicious  ; the  elements  were  rocked 
to  sleep  in  a kind  of  Sunday  repose.  The  two  armies 
so  long  in  deadly  hostility,  were  now  facing  each  other 


BATTLES  FOR  THE  UNION. 


407 


with  guns  strangely  hushed.  An  expectant  silence 
pervaded  the  air.  Every  heart  was  anxiously  await- 
ing the  result  of  the  conference  in  the  historic  farm 
house. 

When  at  last,  the  news  of  the  surrender  flashed 
along  the  lines,  deafening  cheers  rose  and  fell  for  more 
than  half  an  hour,  over  the  victorious  Union  army. 
Other  than  this,  there  was  no  undue,  triumphal  dis- 
play of  the  victors  over  the  conquered  foe.  “ There 
was  a Federal  column  waving  the  white  flag,  and  lines 
of  troops  fringing  a distant  hill.  There  was  nothing 
visible  in  front  but  these;  no  crash  of  music  disturbed 
the  evening  air.  * * * On  the  Confederate 

side,  the  disbanded  lines  of  attack  moved  across  the 
field  with  the  slow  step  of  mourners.” 

The  shout  of  joy  which  was  sent  up  that  day  from 
Appomattox  Court  House,  echoed  through  the  entire 
North.  Cannon  boomed  forth  their  iron  pcans  of  vic- 
tory ; the  glad  clash  of  bells  was  heard  ringing  “peace 
and  freedom  in,  ” and  bonfires  flamed  high  their  at- 
testation of  the  unbounded  delight  everywhere  exhib- 
ited. The  day  of  jubilee  seemed  to  have  come  and 
rejoicing  was  the  order  of  the  hour.  The  storm  of 
war  which  had  rocked  the  country  for  four  long  years, 
was  now  rolling  away,  and  the  sunlight  of  peace  fell 
athwart  the  National  horizon.  The  country  for  which 
Washington  fought  and  Warren  fell,  was  once  more 
safe  from  Treason’s  hands,  and  Liberty  was  again  the 
heritage  of  the  people. 


TESTIMONIALS, 


EXTRACTS  FROM  NOTICES  OF  THE  PRESS 

Hartford  Post. 

There  is  not  an  old  soldier  in  the  country  who  will  not  find  this  one  of  the 
most  companionable  and  delightful  of  books.  The  narrative  is  nowhere 
wearisome,  every  page  being  vivid  with  exciting  incidents  and  deeds  of  daring 
and  heroism.  A brilliant  career  is  certainly  open  to  this  newest  of  the  stories 
of  the  war. 

Albany  Journal. 

The  soldier  and  the  citizen  alike  turn  to  the  battles  as  concentrating  the 
issues  and  the  glories.  This  story  of  the  great  combats  and  the  lesser  skir- 
mishes is  told  in  simple,  direct,  and  intelligent  terms,  with  sufficient  detail  to 
bring  out  the  points  of  interest,  but  not  so  minute  as  to  be  wearisome,  or  blur 
the  leading  features. 

Boston  Traveler. 

In  11  Battles  for  the  Union,”  Captain  Willard  Glazier  has  added  to  the  reputa- 
tion he  has  already  won  as  an  entertaining  writer  on  subjects  connected  with 
the  rebellion.  The  present  volume,  devoting  especial  space  to  each  battle  of 
the  trying  times  of  the  civil  war,  will  be  found  especially  interesting  to  those 
who  were  participants  in  these  battles,  or  who  were  friends  of  these  partici- 
pants. 

Boston  Globe. 

Captain  Glazier  of  “Prison  Pen”  fame,  the  author  of  “Three  Years  in  the 
Federal  Cavalry,”  has  in  his  new  book,  “Battles  for  the  Union,”  in  concise, 
simple,  and  yet  interesting  style,  told  the  story  of  the  struggles,  suffering,  suc- 
cesses, and  reverses  of  the  Union  armies  during  the  rebellion.  TheTraok  will 
constitute  a most  valuable  addition  to  the  literature  of  the  times,  and  will  be 
read  with  interest  by  all. 

Hartford  Covrant. 

Captain  Glazier  has  attained  immense  popularity  in  the  field  of  war  litera- 
ture. His  “Capture,  Prison  Pen,  and  Escape”  has  sold  to  the  extent  of  more 
than  400,000  copies,  while  his  “Three  Years  in  the  Federal  Cavalry”  is  still  in 
brisk  demand,  with  160,000  copies  already  from  the  press.  His  new  work— 
“ Battles  for  the  Union  ” — is  profusely  illustrated,  and  will  be  assured  of  a sale 
fully  as  large  as  any  of  his  books  have  attained. 

Albany  Argus. 

The  writer  of  this  work  will  be  remembered  as  one  of  the  most  promising 
students  in  the  State  Normal  School  in  this  city,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  rebel- 
lion. He  immediately  left  school,  enlisted  for  the  war,  and  fought  bravely  for 
his  imperiled  country  during  the  struggle.  He  is  a graphic  narrator,  recount- 
ing the  stirring  scenes  with  the  vigor  and  freshness  of  intense  sympathy,  aided 
by  freedom  and  vivacity  of  expression.  A more  desirable  history  of  the 
nation’s  battles  has  not  been  published— indeed,  none  of  the  narratives  include 
them  all  in  so  compact,  convenient,  readable,  and  reasonable  a form. 


Testimonials , 


409 


Chicago  Journal. 

Captain  Glazier  wields  a graphic  pen.  His  descriptions  are  vivid.  In  the 
statement  of  facts  he  is  painstaking,  and  conscientious.  Forty-four  battles  are 
described.  It  constitutes  a very  readable  history  of  the  war.  The  writer  has 
the  vivacity  which  is  so  essential  in  the  composition  of  6uch  a book  as  this. 
One  is  often  thrilled  as  the  panorama  of  war  passes  before  the  mind. 

Boston  Transcript. 

This  book  is  like  a kaleidoscope,  with  the  prominent  battles  for  the  Union 
constituting  its  shifting  scenes.  You  have  only  to  turn  the  wheel  and  Antie- 
tam’s  field  is  again  red  with  patriot  blood,  or  the  rivulet  of  Bull  Run  swells  to 
a crimson  river.  The  object  of  painting  a battle  scene  with  pen  and  ink  is  to 
make  it  like  a picture,  and  that  object  has  been  accomplished  in  this  work. 
Sheridan's  steed,  “as  black  aB  the  steeds  of  night,”  again  dashes  against  the 
retreating  wave  at  Cedar  Creek  and  hurls  it  back  to  victory,  and  Kilpatrick, 
Custer,  and  Bayard  renew  the  brilliant  actions  which  covered  their  names  with 
glory.  The  style  of  the  book  is  lucid,  and  the  narrative  full  of  interest  to  the 
end.  If  the  remarkable  sale  of  the  “Prison-Pen”  establishes  a precedent  in 
this  young  author’s  experience  of  book-making,  we  predict  for  “Battles  for 
the  Union”  an  unparalleled  success. 

Syracuse  Standard. 

The  Soldier- Author  wields  the  pen  with  surpassing  facility,  and  his  descrip- 
tions, abounding  in  life  and  interest,  are  not  extended  or  tedious,  but  give 
just  about  what  one  wants  to  know  of  those  terribly  grand  scenes.  To  those 
who  fought  for  the  Union,  whether  they  were  immediately  connected  with 
any  of  the  scenes  described  in  the  book  or  not,  there  must  be  a peculiar 
Interest;  for  the  incidents  of  those  bloody  contests  are  fast  fading  from  the 
memory  of  most  of  ns  who  lived  in  their  midst.  And  were  it  not  for  such 
works  as  this  of  Willard  Glazier  to  revivificate  our  memory  of  them,  they 
would  soon  be  gone  from  us  for  ever.  The  work  is  not  a ponderous  history, 
heavy  with  details  of  minor  events,  but  full  of  the  momentous  incidents  of  a 
struggle,  the  memory  of  which  our  brave  soldiers  love  to  dwell  upon. 

Scranton  Republican. 

An  attractive  volume  entitled  “Battles  for  the  Union”  has  just  been  issued 
from  the  pen  of  the  soldier  author,  Captain  Willard  Glazier,  whose  “Three 
Years  in  the  Federal  Cavalry”  met  with  such  a favorable  reception  a short 
lime  ago.  Captain  Glazier's  latest  work  is  decidedly  his  best.  It  tells  the 
story  of  the  Nation's  struggle  in  a graphic,  thrilling  style  that  makes  the  heart 
throb  and  the  blood  tingle,  as  though  the  scenes  which  he  depicts  were  passing 
before  the  eye  of  the  reader.  The  author  aims  more  at  a vigorous  than  a 
polished  style,  and  infuses  into  every  battle-scene  which  he  depicts  his  own 
soldier  spirit.  The  work  treats  essentially,  as  its  name  indicates,  of  the  battles 
for  the  Union,  the  author  being  evidently  at  his  best  in  describing  a bristling 
cavalry  charge,  or  telling  of  the  fiery,  furious  rain  of  bomb-shells.  Notwith- 
standing its  vigorous  warlike  character,  there  is  a thread  of  romance  running 
throughout  the  work  that  elevates  it  above  the  coarse  level  of  scenes  of  car- 
nage, as  depicted  by  some  writers,  and  wins  the  attention  of  the  reader  from 
the  opening  to  the  closing  chapter. 


410 


Testimonials, 


Dunkirk  Advertiser. 

Captain  Glazier’s  works  are  growing  more  and  more  popular  every  day. 
Their  delineations  of  military  life,  constantly  varying  scenes,  and  deeply  in- 
teresting stories  combine  to  place  their  writer  in  the  front  rank  of  American 
authors. 

St.  Catharines  (Ontario)  News. 

Several  works  have  already  been  published  having  reference  to  the  history 
of  the  war,  but  they  are  unlike  the  present  publication  in  many  respects,  and 
the  citizen  as  well  as  soldier  have  decided  in  favor  of  “Battles  for  the  Union.” 

Detroit  Tnbune. 

The  book  will  be  found  not  only  entertaining  in  the  highest  degree,  but  very 
instructive,  especially  in  this  day  of  discussion  and  criticism  ol  some  of  the 
Nation’s  great  actors  in  her  terrible  but  glorious  drama  of  carnage.  No  work 
on  the  rebellion  has  yet  been  written  that  affords  so  much  valuable  information 
in  so  few  pages,  and  certainly  none  of  deeper  interest. 

Lansing  Republican. 

Willard  Glazier  was  himself  a soldier,  and  held  the  rank  of  captain  in  the 
great  army  of  the  Union,  was  captured  by  the  enemy  at  New  Baltimore,  Va., 
iu  the  autumn  of  1803,  and  evidently  knows  whereof  he  writes.  His  style  is 
clear  and  forcible,  his  descriptions  vivid  and  picturesque,  and  altogether  the 
book  is  one  which  will  interest  all  classes  of  readers. 

Lockport  Journal. 

We  referred  a day  or  two  since  to  “Battles  for  the  Union,”  but  not  to  that 
extent  which  its  merits  demanded.  An  intimate  acquaintance  with  its  pages 
develops  a merit  and  fund  of  genuine  information  relative  to  the  more  stirring 
scenes  of  the  late  war  not  discovered  by  a casual  look.  As  its  name  indicates, 
the  book  has  to  do  with  the  battles  of  the  war.  The  task  evidently  was  un- 
dertaken conscientiously ; it  is  certainly  carried  through  faithfully  and  enter- 
tainingly. From  Sumter  to  the  surrender,  its  pages  are  bright,  sparkling,  and 
full  of  the  deepest  interest.  Much  is  told  about  the  war  that  cannot  be  found 
elsewhere.  The  writer  has  the  tact  to  deal  with  the  little  details  of  the  con- 
flict, which  in  the  aggregate  made  up  the  glorious  results.  The  author,  Willard 
Glazier,  was  a good  soldier;  he  moreover  wields  a graceful  pen. 

South  Bend  Tribune. 

Dear  as  are  the  details  of  camp  life  and  marching  to  the  veteran,  he  is  often 
surprised  to  mark  how  their  little  incidents  pale  when  compared  with  the  in- 
terest which  invests  the  battles  in  which  he  fought,  perhaps  bled,  for  the  sacred 
cause  of  freedom.  However  interesting  soldier  life  may  have  been  at  the  time, 
after  the  lapse  of  years  it  appears  hut  a dull  routine,  a dark  background,  against 
which  the  encounters  stand  out  in  bold  colors,  presenting  a grand  record  of 
the  soldier’s  services  and  sacrifices.  And  not  the  soldier  alone  feels  this  ; his 
friends  and  descendants  share  this  interest  in  the  battles  of  the  great  war.  It 
therefore  becomes  necessary  that  a well  written  account  of  the  principal  strug- 
gles be  in  every  household.  We  have  never  seen  a book  that  so  completely 
supplies  this  universal  need  as  Captain  Glazier’s  “Battles  for  the  Union.” 


Testimonials, 


411 


Detroit  Free  Press. 

This  is  pre-eminently  a popular  history  of  the  war,  or,  in  other  words,  a his- 
tory which  presents  the  more  important  phases  of  the  rebellion  to  the  reader 
in  a way  that  saves  him  the  trouble  of  winnowing  the  wheat  from  the  chaff. 
It  consists  virtually  of  a series  of  pictures,— each  picture  representing  one 
well-defined  battle.  In  forty-four  chapters  we  have  an  account  of  nearly  every 
battle  of  the  war,  written  in  a graphic  style  and  liberally  sprinkled  with  ex- 
citing  anecdote,  and  illustrated  by  numerous  engravings. 

Buffalo  Express. 

The  graphic  story  which  Captain  Glazier  told  of  his  own  personal  experience 
in  ‘•Capture,  Prison-Pen,  and  Escape”  undoubtedly  secured  for  him  a large 
circle  of  readers,  who  will  cheerfully  take  ‘‘on  trust”  whatever  he  may  write, 
and  accept  his  “Battles  for  the  Union”  as  a valuable  addition  to  the  history  of 
the  late  rebellion.  It  is  written  in  an  attractive  style,  and  contains  an  inter- 
esting and  vivid  description  of  some  of  the  stubbornly  contested  battles  of 
the  war,  besides  a great  many  entertaining  incidents  and  reminiscences  of  the 
camp,  the  march,  and  the  skirmish  line.  The  descriptions  of  Winchester, 
Chickamauga,  and  Cedar  Creek  will  be  found  peculiarly  thrilling. 

Cleveland  Plaindealer. 

Willard  Glazier  was  among  the  first  who,  at  the  commencement  of  the  war 
for  the  Union,  enlisted  from  Troy.  He  bore  himself  with  true  gallantry,  and 
was  captured  in  the  engagement  at  New  Baltimore,  in  the  autumn  of  1863.  He 
remained  in  Libby  for  several  months.  After  his  escape  he  was  promoted  to  a 
captaincy,  and  served  till  the  war  ended.  Of  late  years  he  has  published 
several  works  of  army  experiences,  which  are  written  with  vividness  and  with 
a dramatic  power  worthy  of  the  best  writers.  He  has  just  completed  a new 
work,  which  will  probably  have  a larger  sale  than  any  of  its  predecessors.  It 
is  entitled  “ Battles  for  the  Union,”  and  gives  in  vigorous  language  and  graphic 
an  account  of  every  engagement  from  Fort  Sumter  to  and  including  the  sur- 
render of  the  last  rebel  army.  The  personal  part  which  the  author  bore  in 
many  of  the  battles,  and  his  facilities  for  observation  and  retentive  powers, 
enabled  him  to  make  the  work  reliable  and  interesting. 

Chicago  Inter- Ocean. 

The  voice  of  war  is  still ; no  more  across  our  streets  hang  flaunting  banners ; 
the  march  of  armed  troops  that  spoke  of  death  and  woke  the  slumbers  of  the 
night  is  heard  no  more,  save  in  the  holiday  pomp  of  untried  youth  or  the  yearly 
muster  of  a veteran  soldiery.  Now  smile  the  fields  where  armies  bled  and 
evening  drums  were  wont  to  beat  their  last  tattoo  to  dying  ears.  The  fight  is 
done,  and  away  in  the  far  horizon  the  glorious  days  are  waxing  dim.  Even 
now  it  is  the  bearded  men  who  speak  of  Gettysburg,  and  children  clasp  the 
knees  that  marched  to  Chancellorsville.  Year  after  year  our  soldiers  meet  to 
talk  of  glory,  and  year  by  year  their  ranks  grow  thinner,  older,  grayer;  and 
by  and  by,  when  the  hand  of  Time  has  imperceptibly  brought  the  inevitable 
shadow  of  forgetfulness,  a few  old  men  will  answer  to  their  names,  and  the 
deeds  of  the  heroes  who  fought  for  the  Union  will  sleep  with  those  of  their 
brothers  who  fell  at  Bunker  Hill.  In  the  busy  world  men  have  little  time  to 


412 


Testimonials. 


fight  their  battle6  o'er  again.  Life  is  earnest ; living,  an  ever  present  and  stem 
reality.  Histories  of  the  war  and  the  various  battles  are  generally  either  too 
long  or  beyond  the  reach  of  the  average  reader.  We  therefore  accept  the 
admirably  condensed  little  work  of  the  gallant  soldier  whose  portrait  adorns 
this  volume, — a handsome  portrait  it  is,  too, — with  pride  and  pleasure.  It  is 
such  a history  as  every  soldier  and  every  man  who  has  a pride  in  his  country 
should  wish  to  possess.  Captain  Glazier  was  no  carpet  knight.  He  shared 
the  glories  of  the  Harris  Light  Cavalry  in  camp  and  field,  earning  his  promo- 
tion from  the  non-oommissioned  ranks  to  the  command  for  which  he  was  so 
admirably  fitted.  There  is  the  scent  of  powder  in  what  he  writes,  the  vivid 
reality  of  sight  and  understanding.  We  are  particularly  charmed  with  his 
style,  which  is  plain,  blunt,  direct,  and  free  from  strain  or  affectation.  He 
describes  the  fights  as  they  were  fought ; individual  deeds  of  bravery  as  they 
were  performed ; the  march  and  its  trials ; the  defeat  and  its  causes  ; the  vic- 
tory and  its  effects.  With  the  ardor  of  a young  patriot,  and  the  generous 
admiration  of  a good  soldier,  he  feels  as  great  a pride  in  the  successes  of  a 
rival  corps  as  in  his  own.  Nor  is  this  an  unworthy  feature  of  his  work,  because 
the  army  was  full  of  little,  and  sometimes  not  particularly  friendly,  rivalries — 
corps  of  corps,  brigade  of  brigade,  regiment  of  regiment,  man  of  man.  Cavalry 
men  have  a traditional  contempt  for  infantry  men ; and  although  our  cavalry, 
through  the  very  nature  of  the  battle  grounds,  were  scarcely  permitted  the 
honor  of  that  constant  meeting  with  the  enemy  which  fell  to  the  lot  of  the 
infantry,  they  were  not  at  all  times  willing  to  admit  that  any  difference  existed 
as  regards  the  record  of  killed  and  wounded,  or  the  greater  frequency  of  ex- 
posure to  danger.  Willard  Glazier’s  letters,  in  which  every  battle  may  be 
regarded  as  a separate  picture,  are  quite  as  good  as  the  boasted  descriptions 
by  the  London  Times  and  Daily  News  correspondents  of  the  Prussian  war. 
They  read  like  a grand  panoramic  picture  of  gallant  deeds  and  warlike  pag- 
eantries. If  the  author  occasioually  covers  up  a clear  defeat,  excusing  it  with 
graceful  art ; if  he  feels  disposed  to  overestimate  a slight  advantage,  and  to 
claim  a victory  where  the  battle  was  evidently  drawn,  he  errs  upon  the  side  of 
love  for  the  boys  in  blue  and  pride  in  the  flag  under  which  he  fought.  The 
work  is  divided  into  forty-four  chapters,  each  containing  a different  battle, 
commencing  with  Fort  Sumter  and  ending  with  the  surrender.  We  confi- 
dently recommend  these  graphic  and  life-like  pictures  to  the  notice  of  our 
readers.  They  are  thrilling  as  the  sound  of  the  trumpet,  and  soul-inspiring  as 
the  songs  of  Ossian. 

Chicago  Times. 

The  great  charm  which  this  book  possesses,  in  all  probability,  arises  out  of 
the  author’s  keen  appreciation  and  understanding  of  human  nature.  He 
realizes  that  after  the  lapse  of  the  years  which  have  intervened  between  the  war 
of  the  rebellion  and  the  present  time,  the  true  soldier  considers  quiet  camp 
life,  and  the  monotonous  march  of  but  little  importance  in  comparison  to  his 
services  upon  the  battle  field,  and  consequently,  eagerly  turns  to  any  recount 
of  struggles  and  victories  on  the  field  of  carnage  in  which  he  participated. 
Humorous,  spicy,  and  even  pathetic  incidents  of  the  camp  and  march  are 
always  interesting,  calling  forth  laughter  and  tears  by  turns,  whiling  away 
many  an  hour,  recalling  the  old  times  and  old  comrades,  and  lingering  on  in  the 


Testimonials. 


413 


memories  of  old  soldiers  to  the  end  of  their  lives.  But  what  are  they  in  com- 
parison to  the  incidents  of  the  battle-field?  Camp  life  fades  from  the  recollec- 
tion of  the  warrior  at  the  remembrance  of  the  hour  when  he  stood  among  sheets 
of  flame,  shattered  forests,  crashing  shells,  bristling  bayonets,  and  thundering 
artillery,  dead  to  fear,  and  fighting  like  a demon  to  stem  the  tide  of  battle. 
Our  soldier-author  knows  this,  and  although  his  work  comprises  many  very 
entertaining  incidents  and  reminiscences  of  the  camp,  the  march,  and  the  skir- 
mish line,  and  embraces  a glowing  record  of  the  privations,  heroic  deeds, 
and  glorious  triumphs  of  the  soldiers  of  the  Republic,  still  it  is  in  reality  a 
description  of  many  of  the  most  stubbornly  contested  battles  in  the  war  of 
the  great  rebellion.  Willard  Glazier's  power  as  a descriptive  writer  is  well 
known  from  his  previous  works,  which  met  with  a universal  welcome,  and 
yet  that  he  had  much  literary  strength  in  reserve  is  apparent  in  his  last  publi- 
cation, “ Battles  for  the  Union.”  In  it  his  delineations  of  scenes  of  strife 
bespeak  an  enthusiasm  and  an  ability  for  portrayal  almost  incomprehensible. 
Indeed,  so  vivid,  so  thrilling,  so  heartfelt  are  his  descriptions  that  the  reader 
is  brought  into  the  conflict,  and  cheers  with  the  triumphant  or  bows  with  the 
vanquished.  Not  only  into  every  battle  scene  which  he  depicts  does  the 
writer  infuse  his  own  soldier  spirit,  but  into  the  hearts  of  all  who  are  so  fortu- 
nate as  to  peruse  his  work.  In  every  conflict  described,  one  sees  the  two  great 
armies  facing  each  other  in  their  streagth,  and  ready  for  one  fierce  convulsive 
contest ; one  hears  the  deafening  shouts  as  they  sweep  down  upon  each  other, 
and  the  tremendous  salute  from  the  terrific  artillery  which  causes  the  earth  to 
shake  and  the  waters  to  tremble,  and  the  hissing  and  crashing  of  the  fiery, 
murderous  shells  ; one  can  see  the  thousands  of  men  surging  and  seething  and 
falling  beneath  the  rain  of  bullets,  one  can  hear  the  maddening  yell  of  triumph 
of  the  victorious  army  when  the  enemy  breaks  and  flies  with  demoniac  curses 
and  cries.  The  portrayal  too  of  the  first  night  after  a battle  is  also  very  vigor- 
ous and  fine.  Very  feelingly  depicted  are  the  men  in  their  death  struggles 
begging  for  a cup  of  water;  shivering  under  the  knife  of  the  surgeon  as  he 
amputates  their  mangled  limbs ; or  praying,  perhaps,  that  they  may  see  their 
native  hills  once  more.  An  unusually  exciting  and  interesting  account  is  that 
of  the  naval  conflict  between  the  Merrimac  and  Monitor.  In  “ Battles  for  the 
Union  ” every  man  who  participated  in  the  rebellion  can  live  over  again  the 
days  of  his  soldier  life ; can  fight  side  by  side  with  his  old  comrades ; can 
charge  again  at  the  command  of  his  old  commander.  And  here  it  may  be 
stated  that  the  way  in  which  the  old  familiar  names  ring  out  throughout  the 
book  is  truly  inspiring.  Without  doubt  the  work  will  be  warmly  greeted  by 
one  and  all,,  hut  more  especially  will  it  be  welcomed  by  the  thousands  of 
isolated  farm-houses  scattered  all  over  the  land,  from  whence  went  out  a son  to 
fight  for  his  country.  It  will  make  delightful  reading  for  the  long  winter  even- 
ings so  soon  to  be  here.  Moreover,  it  is  a hook  that  will  not  grow  old.  It  will 
not  change  like  the  majority  of  books,  with  the  fashion.  Its  subject  is  one 
that  cannot  be  encroached  upon. 

Our  Fireside  Friend,  Chicago. 

The  tempest  of  civil  war  is  now  long  past.  The  tumult  of  the  tented  field  is 
already  almost  forgotten,  and  the  bitterness  of  sectional  feeling  which  caused 
the  open  strife  between  the  two  divisions  of  our  country,  and  which  excited 


414 


Testimonials, 


passions  kept  alive  long  after  the  clamor  of  actual  war  had  ceased,  is  now 
rapidly  dying  away.  The  fearful  time  of  bloodshed,  of  wounds  and  death, 
of  desolated  homes,  of  heartbroken  mothers  and  wives,  is  now  in  the  minds 
of  men  only  a painful  dream,  but  dimly  remembered ; on  the  pages  of  books 
and  newspapers  it  is  but  a chapter  of  history.  Now,  the  literature  called  out 
by  the  war,  which,  a few  years  ago,  awakened  such  intense  sectional  and  party 
enthusiasm,  is  interesting  only  as  history,  is  criticised  as  history,  and  valued 
only  as  it  contributes  to  the  tale  of  the  life  of  a nation,  a life  full  of  blunders, 
of  errors  may  be,  but  tending  ever  outward  and  upward  from  them.  The  book 
before  us  is,  we  think,  a worthy  contribution  to  this  history.  Its  scope  as 
given  on  its  title-page  is  the  “ Description  of  many  of  the  most  stubbornly 
contested  battles  in  the  late  war,  together  with  incidents  and  reminiscences  of 
the  camp,  the  march,  and  the  skirmish  line,  embracing  also  a record  of  the 
privations,  heroic  deeds,  and  glorious  triumphs  of  the  soldiers  of  the  Repub- 
lic.” This  scope  is  a wide  one,  and  if  it  be  somewhat  imperfectly  filled  out, 
this  is  really  no  more  than  might  have  been  expected  of  the  attempt  to  com- 
pass so  much  in  a volume  of  407  pages.  But  the  purpose  of  the  volume  is  a 
praiseworthy  one,  and  this  is,  even  in  the  limited  space  alloted  it,  very  fairly 
carried  out.  In  the  history  of  any  war  the  great  battles  stand  forth  as  impor- 
tant and  salient  points.  On  their  issue  the  story  of  the  war  and  the  history  of 
all  the  nations  involved  will  turn.  The  fault  of  most  war  histories  is  that  they 
are  two  voluminous,  and  dwell  too  much  upon  incidental  details  of  camp  and 
march,  or  upon  matters  of  strategy  that  really  lie  outside  of  the  tale  of  actual 
strife.  The  author  of  this  book  has  therefore  taken  forty-four  of  what  have 
seemed  to  him  the  most  important  of  the  conflicts  in  the  late  war,  and  by 
giving  full  and  accurate  details  of  their  strategic  plan,  and  the  success  of  its 
working,  has  endeavored,  and  with  good  success  we  think,  to  make  a book 
which  shall  have  a peculiar  value  as  a book  of  reference  with  regard  to  these 
battles.  This  task  has  been  accomplished,  too,  with  most  commendable  skill 
in  the  working.  The  style  in  which  it  is  written  is  excellent,  being  clear  and 
graphic.  The  author,  himself  a soldier,  writes  of  the  exciting  contests  and  the 
perils  of  the  brave  men  who  took  part  in  them,  with  the  ardor  of  a genuine 
participant.  The  scenes  of  the  bloody  field  are  each  so  vividly  described,  that 
we  seem  in  reading  to  see  the  whole  contest  of  the  four  years  of  strife  as  in  a 
panorama,  and  there  is  not  a chapter  which  is  not  intensely  interesting  from 
its  opening  to  its  close.  The  matter  we  also  judge  to  be  thoroughly  accurate 
and  reliable,  being  fully  in  harmony  with  the  best  authorities  that  have  written 
about  the  war.  There  is  much  matter  that  has  the  air  of  newness  to  us,  in  the 
line  of  incident.  This  we  are  disposed  to  accept  as  also  accurate  upon  the 
worthy  reputation  of  the  author,  and  feel  inclined,  because  of  the  pleasure  its 
perusal  has  given  us,  to  recommend  the  book  very  warmly  to  others. 

Chicago  Tribune, 

The  author  of  this  volume  wore  the  blue  uniform  during  the  late  war  of  the 
rebellion,  and  had  an  experience  both  on  the  battle-field  and  as  a prisoner  in 
the  hands  of  the  enemy.  Since  the  restoration  of  peace,  he  has  occupied  him- 
self with  the  relation,  in  a series  of  volumes,  of  the  history  of  the  war  in  its 
various  phases.  This  latest  of  his  hooks  contains  a description  of  some  forty, 
four  of  the  sternest  battles  fought  for  the  integrity  of  the  Union. 


Testimonials, 


415 


New  York  Tribune. 

Willard  Glazier  is  an  easy  and  graceful  writer,  and  holds  the  attention  of  the 
reader  throughout  the  entire  work,  depicting  scenes  on  the  battle-field  with 
such  earnestness  and  force  as  to  lead  one  in  imagination  into  the  midst  of  the 
fiercest  conflicts,  where  such  deeds  of  patriotism  and  bravery  were  enacted  as 
to  thrill  the  very  soul. 

Wilkes  Barre  Record  of  the  Times. 

Captain  Glazier’s  preceding  works  have  gained  him  a wide  fame,  and  in  the 
present  volume  he  has  certainly  lost  none  of  the  vigor,  strength,  and  power 
which  characterizes  his  former  writings.  His  style  is  easy  and  natural,  and 
yet  thrilling  and  graphic  in  the  extreme.  As  he  writes  he  witnesses  again  the 
scenes  through  which  he  passed  during  the  rebellion,  and  his  facile  pen  at  once, 
and  with  peculiar  fidelity,  transfers  the  mental  picture  to  the  page  before  him. 
It  is  a wonderful  power,  and  one  which  few  men  possess,  to  be  able  to  carry 
with  them  through  life  the  scenes  of  former  years,  and  reproduce  them  at  will 
for  the  pleasure  of  their  readers.  Captain  Glazier  demonstrates  this  fine  gift 
with  admirable  force,  and  the  fascinating  pages  before  us  are  a moving,  breath- 
ing panorama  of  the  battles  for  the  Union. 

Philadelphia  Times. 

It  is  meet  that  every  loyal  citizen  should  preserve  green  in  his  memory  the 
battles  by  which  onr  place  among  the  nations  was  maintained,  and  we  know 
of  no  work  more  admirably  adapted  for  this,  or  more  deeply  interesting  in  its 
contents,  than  “Battles  for  the  Union.”  It  contains  lively  and  graphic  sketches 
of  all  the  great  battles  of  the  late  civil  conflict,  and  in  this  respect  fills  a place 
tn  American  history  occupied  by  Professor  Creasy’s  “Fifteen  Battles  of  the 
World,”  in  general  history.  In  addition  to  this  is  other  most  interesting  mat- 
ter, incidents  and  reminiscences  of  the  camp,  march,  and  skirmish  line,  and  a 
very  full  record  of  the  privations,  heroic  deeds,  and  glorious  triumphs  of  the 
soldiers  of  the  Republic.  It  is  fully  illustrated,  handsomely  bound,  and  is,  all 
in  all,  a volume  that  would  be  read  with  the  deepest  interest  in  every  house- 
hold throughout  the  Union. 

Pittsburg  Gazette. 

Often  as  the  story  of  the  battles  in  defense  of  the  Union  may  be  told  it  will 
never  grow  stale  and  tiresome  so  long  as  those  who  took  part  in  the  straggle, 
or  the  relatives  of  those  who  fought  and  died  in  it,  still  survive.  Even  when 
these  have  passed  away  the  tale  will  not  grow  old,  for  the  next  generation  will 
be  interested  in  the  details  of  a contest  that  has  no  parallel  in  modern  times. 
Such  books  as  Captain  Glazier’s  “ Battles  for  the  Union,”  therefore,  will  be 
eagerly  sought  after,  for  there  can  be  read  the  story  of  the  great  contest  in  its 
heroic  features,  apart  from  the  less  attractive,  though  perhaps  not  less  impor- 
tant, account  of  the  political  and  cabinet  movements  that  influenced  to  a great 
extent  the  movements  in  the  field.  “Battles  for  the  Union ” gives  in  its  forty- 
four  chapters  graphic  descriptions  of  as  many  separate  actions,  beginning  with 
the  bombardment  of  Fort  Sumter  and  ending  with  the  surrender  at  Appo- 
mattox Court-IRiuse,  and  the  entry  into  Richmond.  The  story  of  each  battle 
is  so  clearly  and  succinctly  told  as  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  reader  and 
impress  the  incidents  on  his  memory. 


416 


Testimonials, 


Baltimore  American. 

This  is  a soldier’s  account  of  battles  in  which  the  author  participated,  and 
will  be  found  of  special  interest  to  all  survivors  of  those  memorable  conflicts. 
Captain  Glazier's  descriptive  power  is  very  graphic,  and  his  works  are  growing 
more  and  more  popular  every  day.  Their  delineation  of  military  life,  con- 
stantly varying  scenes,  and  deeply  interesting  incidents,  have  given  the  Soldier- 
Author  a front  rank  among  those  who  have  undertaken  to  describe  the  great 
conflict. 

Beading  Eagle. 

Captain  Glazier  has  given  his  attention,  in  forty-four  chapters,  to  that  num- 
ber of  the  most  important  and  exciting  conflicts  of  the  war,  including  many 
that  are  memorable,  and  will  always  remain  so,  for  their  magnitude,— Antie- 
tam,  Chickamauga,  Malvern  Hill,  Gettysburg,  Vicksburg,  etc.,  and  others  that 
are  notable  for  some  of  the  accompanying  circumstances,  such  as  Olustee, 
where  the  colored  boys  poured  out  their  blood ; Bull  Run,  whose  disasters  gave 
an  awakening  shock  to  the  nation ; Big  Bethel,  Ball’s  Bluff,  Wilson’s  Creek, 
and  Chantilly,  on  whose  sad  fields  successively  fell  the  brilliant  Winthrop,  the 
heroic  Baker,  the  intrepid  Lyon,  and  the  chivalrous  Kearney.  The  encounter 
between  the  Merrimac  and  Monitor  forms  an  exciting  chapter,  as  the  recital 
of  that  historic  event  must  always  do,  and  in  general,  the  descriptions  through- 
out the  volume  are  spirited  and  interesting. 

Troy  Times. 

A history  of  early  struggle  when  it  is  crowned  with  success,  is  always  one  of 
the  most  interesting  chapters  in  human  experience.  The  life  of  Willard  Glaz- 
ier, the  soldier-author,  illustrates  this  sentiment.  It  is  a record  of  difficulties 
surmounted,  of  obstacles  overcome,  of  early  struggle  and  present  success. 
He  is  now  extensively  known  to  the  country  as  a writer  of  war-books,  and 
“ Battles  for  the  Union  ” is  one  of  the  series.  He  began  life  as  a boy-trapper 
along  the  banks  of  the  wild  Oswegatchie  river  in  St.  Lawrence  County.  In 
this  way  he  obtained  his  first  money,  and  was  enabled  to  pay  his  tujtion  at  a 
select  school.  An  education  so  hardly  earned  was  put  to  good  use.  and  he 
was  afterwards  a popular  school-master  at  Schodack  Center  and  Scott’s  Corn- 
ers, in  Rensselaer  county.  He  attended  the  State  Normal  School  in  Albany, 
and  one  day  ran  away  from  school  to  look  at  the  body  of  the  dead  Ellsworth 
lying  in  state  at  the  capitol.  His  patriotism  was  not  of  the  boisterous  kind, 
but  it  flowed  still  and  deep  and  was  none  the  less  true.  He  enlisted  from 
Troy,  under  Colonel  Clarence  Buell  in  the  “ Harris  Light  Cavalry,”  and  served 
three  years  when  he  was  taken  prisoner.  Then  follows  a sickening  history 
of  southern  prison  life,  interspersed  with  such  brutalities  as  befitted  a Turner 
within  the  walls  of  Libby.  The  story  of  his  escape  is  thrilling  in  the  extreme, 
and  partakes  largely  of  the  dramatic.  He  reached  the  Union  lines  at  last  more 
dead  than  alive,  after  twenty-eight  nights  of  weary  travel  through  the  cypress 
swamps  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia. 

Albany  Evening  Journal. 

As  Captain  Glazier  began  his  literary  career  in  Albany,  a glance  at  some 
of  the  stirring  incidents  of  his  varied  life  cannot  be  otherwise  than  of  gen- 
eral interest.  He  seems  to  have  been  forced  by  stress  of  circumstances 


Testimonials. 


417 


from  boyhood  up,  to  push  against  the  tide.  When  about  fourteen  years  old,  in 
order  to  obtain  means  to  pay  his  way  at  school,  he  became  a trapper  along  the 
wilds  of  the  Oswegatchie  in  St.  Lawrence  County — the  net  proceeds  of  his 
labor  bringing  him  enough  to  accomplish  his  purpose.  Later,  he  managed  to 
secure  sufficient  means  by  teaching  to  carry  him  through  a term  of  the  Normal 
School  here  in  Albany.  In  partnership  with  another  boy — both  very  poor 
— he  emulated  the  example  of  Ben.  Franklin  by  boarding  himself  in  the 
most  frugal  manner.  He  was  a member  of  the  Normal  School  at  the  breaking 
out  of  the  rebellion,  and,  as  with  thousands  of  others,  the  war  changed  the  whole 
course  of  his  life.  He  belonged  to  the  company  of  Ellsworth  Avengers 
organized  here,  and  in  August,  1861,  left  school  and  enlisted  with  Col.  Clarence 
Buell  at  Troy,  as  a member  of  the  Harris  Light  Cavalry.  His  term  of  service 
lasted  until  1863,  when  he  was  taken  prisoner,  and  for  over  a year  suffered  the 
untold  horrors  of  Southern  Prison  life.  His  escape  was  well-nigh  miraculous. 
For  twenty-eight  days  he  traveled  with  bleeding  feet  through  the  woods  and 
broken  country  by  night,  sleeping  in  some  negro  hut  or  place  of  concealment 
during  the  day.  He  succeeded  at  last  in  reaching  sur  lines,  and  it  was  such  a 
day  as  he  never  forgot.  He  afterwards  embodied  his  experiences  in  the 
“ Prison- Pen,”  the  first  edition  of  which  was  published  by  Joel  Munsell,  of 
this  city.  Here,  also,  he  received  the  name  of  the  “ Soldier-Author,”  which 
has  clung  to  him  through  all  his  literary  experience.  The  “ Prison-Pen  ” had 
the  almost  unprecedented  sale  of  400,000  copies,  and  “Three  Years  in  the 
Federal  Cavalry”  was  its  immediate  successor.  We  understand  he  has 
accumulated  a good  sized  fortune  in  the  sale  of  his  various  works,  and 
assuredly  such  untiring  industry  and  perseverance  deserves  to  be  crowned 
with  the  most  bountiful  success. 


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Teachers,  ladies,  energetic  young  men,  and  especially  returned  and  disabled 
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For  full  particulars,  terms,  etc.,  address 

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